Nurse Me
by Accio Lucius
Summary: A young woman has been called upon to nurse Orochimaru and Kabuto back to health after a devastating battle. The snake lord takes an interest in his young nurse; she takes an interest in her snake tongued patient. OroxOC. Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Random Naruto fanfic while I take a break from my others. I'm still working on them; I'm just brainstorming my ideas before I put them down. Plus, I've been wanting to write about Orochimaru for years. **

**Chapter 1**

"What'll it be?"

The girl jumped, surprised by a blonde cocktail waitress that had appeared at her table out of nowhere. She looked down at her with bored, tired eyes, obviously wishing she preferred to be elsewhere.

"Oh, I'm fine. Thank you," the girl told her. The waitress rolled her eyes and stalked off.

Sure, she wanted a drink. She just didn't want a drink from this particular establishment. Bars weren't a frequent or common part of her daily life, nor was she much of a drinker. Occasionally she would go out with a few of her friends, but it was to bars quite different than this one.

The room was dark; the only light sources were small lanterns hanging about the bar and along the tables. It wasn't terribly loud. In fact, it was almost quite. It put the girl on edge. She felt like everyone could hear each breathe she took. People, mainly men, scanned the room over their drinks as they sat hunched over in their seats. It wasn't a friendly atmosphere.

She sighed and anxiously looked towards the door. If he didn't arrive soon, she was leaving. The message she received had had a sense of urgency to it. It was the only reason she decided to show up in this stuffy bar. She needed this job.

The message she received was from an ad she had posted around town offering house calls as a nurse. The hospitals had all the help they needed, so she was forced to compete with them. It wasn't bad, actually. There were many who couldn't make it all the way to the hospital for various reasons. And then there were those who were just lazy and wanted a young woman checking in on them.

She was offered to temporarily move into the housing of a lord to cater to him and an associate after they suffered injuries from a serious accident. It was quite a recent accident, and adequate help could not be found willing to help. A lord would pay well. She couldn't pass it up.

That and the location for their meeting was all the information the mysterious man had left for her, so she was set even more on edge when a stranger slid into the booth opposite her. He looked young, maybe in his late twenties, and not too much older than herself. He wore a simple black vest over a mesh shirt and pants that matched his equally dark hair. It was cut short, but still managed to get in the way of his eyes.

He waved at the bar that was over her shoulder. He didn't bother to even look at her until he had a sip of his drink that a waitress quickly brought over. He was obviously a regular here. With his eyes barely above the rim of the glass, he looked her up and down. "You weren't what I was expecting," he told her.

An eyebrow arched over one of her silver eyes. "I assure you I'm qualified. If you need proof-" the girl started as she reached for her bag.

"No, it's fine," he told her. "We don't have time for that. I just need to know if you are up for this or not. My Lord is in a great deal of discomfort having no medical treatment. His injured associate is medically trained, but he is in even worse shape. We cannot get any help to come to us."

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I didn't realize it was that serious. Why weren't they taken to the hospital?"

"My Lord has his own medical facilities, and we reside deep inside the forest."

His reply was quick an urgent. She could see the anxiety that spread across his face.

"I suppose I can help you. Your Lord is in quite a predicament, and I do need the work. How soon do you need me?"

"Well, now" he answered with a shrug. "None of the rest of us has any medical experience, and my Lord is quite impatient on a _good_ day. We can let you gather your belongings tomorrow, but we need to leave now if we want to arrive before it gets too far into the night."

The girl pushed a lock of her midnight blue hair behind her ear. "Alright," she said with uncertainty.

"Good," he said as he put his now empty glass down, "let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: fusuma = sliding door.**

**Chapter 2**

Light from a full moon filtered through the trees, but the forest was terribly dark despite the natural light. The girl now stood in a clearing beside the young man. A small building stood in the middle of the clearing.

"It's underground," the man told her when he sensed her confusion. "Come on."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest as the wind stirred and followed him to the dark entrance. Her feet carefully shuffled across the ground when she reached the steps. Her body warmed as she slowly descended into the earth, but it was still chilly. A faint glow could be seen ahead of her.

The man, who was a fair distance ahead of her, waited for her at the light source. There was a fusuma on the other side of the room. Voices could be heard beyond it.

"Keep taking this same hallway. His room is at the very end. I or someone else will show you where you will be staying when you are finished." He slid the door open and motioned for her to enter. She nodded and walked forward.

She walked swiftly, but still had to be careful. Small lanterns hung along the walls. The light was even dimmer than that of the bar. She was almost to the end of the hall when she heard a loud thump from the room adjacent to the Lord's.

Rapping softly on the wood of the door, she slowly slid it open and asked "Hello?"

A silver haired young man with glasses lay in the floor next to his bed. The sheets had pulled down with him, indicating that he had fallen out of bed. The girl pushed the door aside the rest of the way and rushed into the room. Blood could be seen soaking though his shirt.

"I'm fine," he shakily told her as she approached. "Tend to him first."

"But you can't even stand," she protested.

"I know," he told her as he tried to sit up, hissing in pain. "Please, go to him first."

She looked back and forth between him and the room next door. "I'll try to hurry. Can I at least-" She was going to help him return to bed, but he continued to wave her away.

Closing the door behind her, she made off to the room next door. She slipped inside with a quiet knock. Two candles burned on tables sitting on both sides of the bed. The amount of wax dripping down hinted that they had been burning for quite some time.

As she approached the bed, she could see that the lord was peacefully asleep. She cringed, not wanting to wake him but needing to treat him. She bent over the bed slightly to get a better look at him. Her breath caught in her throat for a split second. The man had the palest skin she had ever seen, made even brighter by his long black hair. Purple markings ran across his eyelids and down the inner corners of his eyes.

A damp cloth was lying across the man's forehead. She gently lifted it long enough to reveal an angry slash beneath it. Setting her bag on the ground, she started to rummage through it, pulling out bandages and alcohol. She brushed the man's hair away from his neck, which gave view to more cuts along his neck and collar. His shirt was off, so she started to lower the covers away from him.

Almost instantly, a hand grabbed her roughly by the wrist. She gasped and bent over the man further as pain shot up her arm. Angry golden eyes with slitted pupils stared up at her. He looked over to the table where her supplies were setting before turning his gaze back to her. She sat frozen until he released her wrist.

"I'm sorry to wake you," she told him as his muscles relaxed, "but everyone's insisting I care to you."

He settled back onto his pillow and continued to stare at her. He too looked her up and down. She ignored this as she continued to pull the covers away from his chest, stopping at his bare hips. More cuts ran along his muscled torso. The bandages were past due for changing.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked him before starting.

The man lowered the covers even farther to expose the area below his right hip. A large and particularly dirty bandage covered it. She sat down on the edge of the bed, ready to work.

The smell of latex filled the girl's nose as she pulled gloves onto her hands. She carefully pulled the bandage away from his skin, apologizing when it pulled on a sensitive area. Blood was still seeping out of the wound. She grabbed a pad and applied pressure to the area.

"Hold this for a second," she told him. The man reached down and slipped his hand under hers.

"You really should have been taken to a hospital," she added as she began to look over the rest of his wounds. "I'll be surprised if you don't get an infection. Don't you have any family that would take better interest in you?"

She could sense the lord staring at her again. Looking up as she bent over his chest, she saw the anger in his eyes. "Sorry," she muttered as she lowered her gaze. She brushed his hand away as she returned to the pad on his hip. She began to prep him for stitching.

"I don't have any family, myself. My parents died when I was barely a teenager," she told him as she started.

They both remained silent as the girl continued to clean and bandage the man's wounds. Occasionally he would hiss from pain, and she would quickly apologize.

He finally spoke for the first time when she came close to his face, brushing his hair away so she could further look at the cut running across his forehead.

"What's your name?" he asked in a raspy voice. His eyes showed his weakness as he looked up at her.

"Saya," she replied with a slight grin. She moved his head towards her so she could better see his head. The man kept looking up at her as she slowly brushed dried blood away from his face. "Think you have any broken bones I should look at?" she asked as she applied a small bandage onto his head.

"No," the lord quietly replied as he closed his eyes, finally breaking his stare.

Saya stood and covered his body back up. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I left a few pain pills on the table if you need them." She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder for a last look at the man. Grinning, she left the room.

"Terrifying isn't he?"

She looked up to find the man she met in the bar across the hall.

"No," Saya replied with a puzzled expression. "If you'll excuse me, the other man is waiting for me."

"No need," he replied. "Kabuto's stubbornly treated his own wounds. Said he didn't a woman's help." He moved his head to the side and pointed to reveal a throwing star that protruded from the wall. "To make sure his point was across."

"I'm sure the pain is causing him to react disproportionately. Why would the lord terrify me?"

The man motioned for her to follow him back up the hall. Saya followed. "You don't see it, um?" He stopped and turned back to her. "Saya," she answered. "Akira," he nodded his head before continuing on. "You don't see it, Saya? He's a damn snake. No doubt you didn't see that tongue of his."

"No, Akira. I had to reason to go prodding around in his mouth." She blushed as she realized what she had said. "Is his tongue forked?" she asked in a whisper.

Akira laughed as he stopped at a room. "No, but it's long. A lot of guys around here are jealous of it, for obvious reasons. Not that he has a woman." He smirked at Saya. "I'd watch yourself while you're here."

She paled and stood in the hallway, even though Akira had opened the door to the room. He laughed at her. "I'm just messing with you. He only asks for help if he really needs it, so he won't be scaring you away."

"Right," was her only answer to that.

"Hey, lighten up. You're going to have to work on your sense of humor if you're going to be working in this drab place. Anyway," he stepped aside, "this is your room. I've been told to tell you that food and other necessities will be brought to you and that you're not to wander around any of the hallways and rooms that are on the other side of the fusuma we came through earlier. The other hallways on this side are fine, though."

Saya grinned and thanked him. Akira bit her goodnight with a friendly smile. With no windows to provide sunlight or fresh air in the morning, she would need it.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Uber fast update, because I know what it's like to anxiously await one. **

**thegriffin88: I'm 20-something chapters into your story and hope to continue tomorrow. It's very quirky! :)**

**LuciansLycanNightShade: Your "OMG" caught my attention and forced me to get started on this chapter. Good job. ;)  
**

**Chapter 3**

_Ssssaya…_

Her eyes flew open as the image of a snake striking snapped into her mind. She was breathing heavily, made faster by the claustrophobic sense that sunk in by the dark room.

"Saya?" a voice called from the other side of the door.

She rubbed her eyes as she lit a lantern that sat on the bedside table. A white kimono sat in the chair on the other side of the room. "Just a second," she drowsily announced. Slipping the silky material on, she went to the door and pushed it aside.

"Oh, morning Akira. If it is morning."

He held back a laugh as he entered her room with a tray of breakfast. "Yes, we all may as well be blind. The sunlight kills me whenever I do go above ground." He sat the tray down on the edge of the bed next to her.

"It is awful down here," she agreed. "Is he awake?"

"No, but I suspect he will be soon, and very grumpy. Then again, he's always grumpy."

Saya picked up the cup of tea that was on the tray and began to sip at it. "You know, Akira, last night you held a sense of respect for him. But now you're very open and formal about him."

He half laughed. "Our job is to assist and look after him, not love him."

"So, you don't like him?"

"I can't say that I do. He's very narcissistic. Violent, too." He looked down at Saya. "Try to be as patient with him as you can. I'm sure his fuse is extremely short right now."

Saya blanched for a moment. "You're shinobi, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. Those aren't cat scratches, you know. Look, I just don't want to see the cute nurse get hurt, is all," he added with a smile.

"Thank you, Akira," she replied in mock agitation.

He scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile. "No problem. I'll see you later," he said as he turned to leave.

Saya ate her breakfast in silence until she started to hear the stirs of others in the hallway. She quickly grabbed her bag of supplies and made her way down the hall when he heard loud voices. The second injured man, Kabuto, was not in his room, but was instead next door.

"What are you doing?" she asked him as she stepped into the lord's room.

He stood up by the bed and turned around to face her. There were dark circles under his eyes and his face was damp. "You're not fit to take care of him. You don't even know what all is wrong."

"Like you're one to talk," Saya replied through clenched teeth. "There's no telling what all is wrong with you. You're obviously half out of your mind. Whether it's from a fever or you're just that loony, I don't know, because you won't let me do my job."

She could feel the lord's eyes staring at her, but when she glanced at him he closed his eyes.

"Kabuto," he said weakly, "leave us."

He looked as if he had been smacked in the face. "But-" he started.

"Go," Saya repeated, "before I give you my own reason for needing to treat you."

She could have sworn she heard the lightest of chuckles behind her as she ushered Kabuto out of the room. The lord was staring at her again. His eyes looked ever so slightly brighter, but circles were also starting to develop under his eyes.

Saya crossed her arms as she walked across the room. He remained still except for his eyes that followed her. He did indeed look like a snake ready to strike. "So," she started as she stopped at the end of the bed, "what did he mean by I don't know what all is wrong with you?"

He didn't answer, but still stared at her.

Saya harshened her tone. Forget about being patient "Look, _sir_, you're going to have to tell me what all is bothering you. I know you're in pain and feel terrible, but I can't heal you if you don't talk to me." She raised an eyebrow. "You're going to have to push your pride aside for a moment."

He raised a hand and beckoned her forward. She complied and came to stand beside him. She bent over him with a gasp as he grabbed and pulled her arm. "My pride is not so easily broken," he hissed into her ear.

Saya got goose bumps as his breath hit her neck. She couldn't look into his eyes, but she knew he was looking in her direction. "Is that a challenge?" she asked in response.

A corner of his mouth rose as a chuckle came from deep in is throat. It was cut short as his exhale became shaky. Saya stood the best she could and watched his chest rise and fall. It convulsed as each breath left him.

"Sit up," she ordered him. "I need to check your lungs."

The man looked up at her. Whatever humor he felt a second ago was long gone, replaced with anger. He pulled on her arm again as he slowly sat up. Saya put a hand on his shoulder, which he rotated in order to remove it.

Saya flashed a quick look of annoyance at his back before she reached for her stethoscope. She didn't warm the end up before she placed it onto his skin. He remained still, save for his rough breathing. Saya listened carefully.

"It's not your lungs," she told him. "Your ribs are hurting, aren't they?" His answer was a stiffening of his shoulders.

"What else is broken?" she asked with a sigh.

He looked away from her as he somewhat raised his left arm under the covers. Saya crossed the room to the other side of the bed and uncovered his left arm. She grimaced slightly at the swelling in his forearm, from which his arm then stuck out at an odd angle.

She gently took hold of his wrist above a winding black tattoo and let her other hand glide up and down his arm. He tensed when she reached the swelling. "Clearly broken," Saya muttered. "This is why I'm here," she said as she looked up at him. "Kabuto's too weak to help you. You have to let me help you if you want to heal."

"You are stubborn," he snarled at her.

"I've had more difficult patients," she replied with a grin. "You're the first man to give me this much trouble, though."

Ignoring the pain in his arm, the lord pulled her towards him again. Her face fell directly in front of his. "Be glad I'm giving you a different kind of trouble." His golden eyes drilled into her silver ones. "You don't want that sort of attention from me."

Saya remained still in his grasp and stared back at him. She couldn't help but let her eyes dance across the rest of his face, but his eyes were particularly enticing.

He flashed a quick but full smile at her then, revealing his pointed canines. It wasn't friendly, but sadistic. Humor crept into his eyes as he opened his mouth enough for his tongue to clear his teeth, and then smirked when he felt Saya tense as he slowly ran his tongue up her mouth.

"Or do you?" he asked quietly.

Saya's eyes widened but remained locked onto his. Her voice was steady as she told him "I need to get a cast ready."

The man threw her arm away from him. Just like that his expression hardened. Saya kept her eyes away from his face as she left the room and closed the door behind her. She stepped aside and rested against the wall. She blushed and darted off when she found that her fingers were lingering on her bottom lip.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: thegriffin88 - Haha, no I agree. There is something that just makes you want to go "Aww" when a guy is sick and can't take care of himself.**

**Chapter 4**

With some difficulty Saya gathered the supplies she needed in order to make a cast for the lord. She smiled on the inside knowing that it would drive him crazy. His arm would have been mended in no time if Kabuto was strong enough to heal him. The lord would not allow any of his other shinobi followers to directly heal him.

The supplies were kept in the compound's medical facility, which Saya was not allowed to even go near. She didn't understand why. If she was working for a hospital, it would be her work environment for the entire day. It wasn't like she would break something. Instead she was forced to wait on someone gather the supplies for her. Not only did she need the materials needed for the cast, but she was already low on the supplies she carried with her. She stressed that she wanted a good quantity; the extra would be used on Kabuto if he needed it. Saya was going to examine him whether he liked it or not.

Saya made quick work with the lord. She ignored his stare as she directed him and treated his broken arm. It was an inner struggle. His eyes were too fascinating to ignore, but there was no way she would be able to look at them without blushing. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. That's not to say her neck felt like it would snap if she kept looking away from him.

As usual, they had little communication. Saya would tell him to move his arm when he needed to and he would comply. She didn't ask him any questions, didn't ask once more if there was anything he needed her to check. To her surprise, he broke the silence. Then again, he wasn't the one who was licked on the mouth.

"How long?" he asked her while her back was turned to clean up.

"Until Kabuto is well enough to heal you, which will be some time if he keeps dodging me. I can already tell he's going to get worse. So, weeks. Maybe longer." She grinned deviously when he exclaimed with a protest.

He glared at her as she continued to gather her things and cross the room.

"Wait," he told her in his usual heated tone. Saya stopped at the door in response. "I'd like to take a shower," he finished.

Saya bit her bottom lip and almost threw the contents of her arms to the floor. "You could have told me that _before_ I covered your arm in a non-waterproof cast." She dared to turn around and found him staring blankly at her. She wasn't stupid; she knew he was toying with her. Besides, his blank face wasn't that of his usual irritable one.

"You'll have to settle for a bath," she told him as she walked back into the room. He shrugged a shoulder at her as he already began to climb out of bed.

Turning her back to him, Saya made for the far corner of the room and entered the adjacent bathroom. It too had limited lighting. Saya lit a lantern and set it at the head of the freestanding tub. Steam quickly filled the room as she turned the hot water on and let it run.

She brushed past the man as he slowly walked into the bathroom. He however grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. Saya looked up at him in confusion, sighing as she caught his meaning.

"You don't have to keep doing that. If you want my help, just ask for it."

He squeezed her arm harder and returned her stare.

Saya nodded toward the tub. "Go on, then." She kept her back turned as he undressed. "Keep your bandages on for now," she added. "I'll change them when you get out."

She turned around after she heard him dip into the water, hissing in pain as he did so. He dipped his head into the water long enough to completely soak his hair. With a finger he beckoned Saya over to the tub.

A pang of guilt hit her when she saw that the water was already turning a shade of pink. Having water run over just a paper cut made her wince. She knew he had to have some serious stinging going on. "Yes?" she asked.

"My hair," he simply responded.

Saya walked to a closet on the other side of the dark room and searched for a bottle of shampoo. A flowery scent hit her nose as she opened a random bottle. She returned to the tub and got on her knees. It wasn't the slightest bit comfortable, it being hard as rock. Maybe it was rock.

The lord remained still as she gathered his hair in her hands to meet the shampoo she had poured onto his head. His entire body was submerged save for his left arm that hung over the side of the tub. He stared ahead with a blank yet slightly scowling face.

Saya scrubbed his head in silence until one of her hands brushed against his neck. He reflexively stiffened and drew his shoulders in. Saya's hand flew away from him. "Are you ok?" she asked. He turned around to give her one of his glares.

"You're very tense," she commented.

"And?" he instantly rebounded.

She shrugged as he kept shooting daggers with his eyes. "You don't have to be." Saya laid a hand on one of his pale shoulders. "I know a little about physical therapy." He stiffened again, but let her leave it there.

Turning his head forward he told her, "You know nothing about me."

Saya placed her other hand on his opposite shoulder and gave them both a hard squeeze. "I know," she told him. He didn't flinch or tell her to move away, so she continued. "Not even your name," she added. If she was hoping for a response, she got her hopes up. The man sat still as a board as she pressed her fingers into the tight knots running along his shoulders.

"Does this hurt?" she asked a minute later. A surprisingly soft "no" followed.

Saya was pleased to feel his body relax as she continued. He even closed his eyes and laid his head back. She grinned to herself as she looked at him. With his purple eyelids and shampoo filled hair, he wasn't so terrifying. In fact, without the anger twisted expression, he looked attractive.

The man seemed to sense her and opened his eyes. His slitted pupils expanded as he found her looking down at him.

"Leave," he unexpectedly told her.

She raised an eyebrow as she slowly got up. "I'll wait in your room." Saya walked back into the bedroom and looked around. There was no furniture in the room except the bed and its two nightstands. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

Faint splashing could be heard as the lord rinsed his hair and stepped out of the tub. It was a minute later that he stepped into the room with a towel around his hips. He lay down on his bed and draped his wet hair over his shoulder so that it lay over his chest.

He closed his eyes as Saya began to pull his wet bandages away from his skin. She had to make an adjustment to his towel to reach the wound by his hip.

"Orochimaru," he said as she dried the skin around the wounds.

"What?"

"My name." He opened his eyes to look down at Saya, who was now grinning.

"Thank you for telling me." She covered his hip after applying a new bandage to it. "It's fitting."

"What?" he asked, heat rising into his voice.

Saya actually laughed. "You have a temper far worse than any snake I've seen." She shot a look at him. "And don't grab me," she added as he started to move his arm.

Orochimaru lowered said arm with squinting eyes. He didn't respond and let Saya continue to change his bandages in silence. She mentioned that she would be back in the evening to check on him again. He let her go without a word.

"Keeping busy?" Akira asked her as she stepped out of the room.

"You have no idea," Saya laughed. "And he's the easy one. Where is Kabuto anyway?"

"No idea. He's sneaky like that. I suppose he's doing minimal healing on himself so he can get around."

Saya sighed and laid her head against the wall. "He's going to get very sick if he keeps that up."

"I'll tie him up for you when I see him." They both laughed until Akira cleared his throat. "I need to talk to you about something," he said as he nodded down the hall. Saya followed him.

"We all think it would be better if you didn't leave the compound, even if it is just a trip to get a few of your things. We don't think it's safe for us or for you to be out and about right now."

"But I don't have anything with me!" Saya exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Saya" he assured her, "we'll take care of you. I've already brought some things to your room."

Saya sighed again. "Well, I guess you all know better than I do."

Akira gave her an apologetic smile. "Some house call, huh?"

"It's certainly the most interesting," she replied with a smirk. "I'm going to go clean up. I'll see you later, Akira."

Saya entered her room after he flashed her a smile. There were clean clothes, toiletries, and more medical supplies neatly stacked on top of her bed. Someone, probably Akira she guessed, had scribbled a map of the areas she was allowed to go along with a name for each room. Most were bedrooms and dens, but Saya was glad to see one was the kitchen.

She picked out a black dress and walked to her bathroom. It too was lacking electric lighting. Saya wasn't exactly comfortable as she slipped into a tub of her own hot water. The light from the candle flickered and caused shadows to dance across the room. It was odd, seeing how there was no draft.

"Saya?"

She jumped with a gasp when she heard the raspy voice call her name. Looking toward the door she saw the outline of Orochimaru.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru?"

He actually chuckled. "Just my name is fine. I just wanted to thank you."

Saya's head cocked to the side. "You're welcome?" She didn't mean it to come out as a question. "You got out of bed just to tell me that? Which you shouldn't be doing, by the way."

"I just needed to say it."

**AN: Yeah, he's not the least bit sincere. And yes, Akira does have a crush on Saya if you haven't caught on. Orochimaru is not pleased. The best way to intervene? Intrude on his plaything when she's in the tub. Completely normal. **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **

**the griffin88: I know! Temptation nation, right? Saya has pretty good self control, though. **

**misswarchan: Thanks for deciding to stick around. :) I was planning on this being only a few chapters, by I myself am anxious to see how I can keep developing the story. **

**Chapter 5**

"There he is," Akira said in a low tone.

He and Saya stood quietly behind a nook in the hallway, each peeking one eye around the corner. Kabuto was down the hall rummaging around in a den. More like wobbling, actually. One of his legs appeared to be giving him trouble, or either it was a fever that had already set in that was affecting his balance.

He looked like death warmed over, even from a distance. Saya shook her head in frustration. His hair loosely hung around his face, parts of it seemingly damp.

As Kabuto turned his back to the hallway, Akira gently tapped Saya on the shoulder. He nodded his head toward the den and they both stepped out from behind the corner. Saya remained somewhat in Akira's shadow, hoping to be a surprise when the den was blocked off by his body.

They managed to reach the open doorway of the room without making a sound. As Akira started to step forward to grab Kabuto's arm, Saya dashed in front of him instead.

"Got you," she laughed as she reached for him. "Hey!"

A puff of smoke invaded her vision as Kabuto disappeared. Saya coughed and stepped back until she hit a table. Akira laughed wildly behind her.

"What was that?" she asked.

"A shadow clone," Akira continued to laugh. "Oh man, he really doesn't like you."

"But I haven't done anything!" Saya shouted as she threw her arms up and turned to face Akira. Her lips pursed as she saw that he was still trying to shake off his laugh. "You shinobi are all alike. Damn stubborn."

Akira smirked at her. "Maybe you should spend more of your time here with better company."

A raspy cough caused them both to whirl around.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Akira exclaimed nervously.

Orochimaru sat on a couch in the corner of the room. There was only one light source coming from a table beside him, but his pale skin shone like a light itself. A book rested on the sofa beside him.

"You're up. Again," Saya commented. "What did I tell you about that?"

He looked up at them.

Akira cleared his throat. "Ah, what she means is that it's not good for you in your current state. We're all hoping both you and Kabuto can have a quick recovery." He turned toward Saya who made her way across the room. "Saya, let's leave him be."

Orochimaru's eyes seemed to dance from the light as she crossed the room. "Find Kabuto," he ordered Akira. "He should be nearby. Saya stays."

He glanced at her with a confused look. "Yes, Lord Orochaimru."

Saya sat down on the opposite end of the couch. She looked down at the book. "You're going to ruin your eyes if you keep this terrible lighting. Anyway, all you had to do was come get me if you wanted something."

"I needed to get up," he replied quietly.

She half laughed. "I guess it is boring lying there all day and night. Are you feeling worse or the same?"

For a moment it seemed that Orochimaru was going to lapse back into his habit of silence. Saya turned her face towards him looking to analyze his facial expression, but he stared blankly ahead.

"He's upset because he can't help me."

Saya raised an eyebrow. "You mean Kabuto?" Orochimaru responded with a single blink. "He's being very selfish," Saya continued. "He's hurting both of you by acting this way."

"Kabuto is the only one out of them I have let somewhat close to me." He closed his eyes. "You threaten him."

Saya snorted. "It's not like this means anything. I'll be gone before you know it. It sounds to me like it's a personal problem for him. Possibly very personal."

Orochaimru quickly snapped his head toward her with a venomous look. "This does mean nothing, which is why you should watch that mouth of yours." He softened his expression as Saya got the message, tensing and averting her eyes. "It's a ridiculous notion to begin with. I'm old enough to be his father."

What was he talking about? That's exactly what she meant. She smirked despite herself. What could he do to her? "Some people are into that," she quickly remarked.

As suspected, Orochimaru grabbed her and pulled her close to his face. "Hush," he ordered her. While his eyes were hard and full of anger, he noticed something off about the ones he was looking into. They had absolutely no trace of fear. In fact, they seemed eager. That's when it registered with him that she never once flinched or tried to pull away from him the times he grabbed her. Not even when he-

"You know," he started, breaking his train of thought, "people often say 'some people' when they really mean themselves but are too afraid to say it."

"Or," Saya drawled, "maybe 'some people' really means some people."

"Is that so?" He looked at her with humor creeping into his eyes.

"Yes," she simply replied.

Orochimaru smirked as he briefly looked down at her wrist that was caught in his grip. He brought it closer to his face as he let his tongue glide over the thin skin that covered her veins. Saya's only response was a blink as they continued to stare at each other. When his lips brushed against it, though-

"If you're trying to intimidate me because of what I said this morning, it's not working," she said as she closed her eyes, eyebrows lowered in defiance.

"We aren't discussing intimidation, but since you feel the need to mention it-" Orochimaru dropped his sentence as he leaned forward to push Saya's head up with his own before resting his mouth on her neck.

Saya's eyes flew open and tried to look down at him. "What are you doing?"

"Hush," he told her again, this time covering her neck with his warm breath. He let go of her wrist to instead wrap his hand around the back of her neck as his jaw began to slowly open and close.

"Stop," Saya breathed. "You're hallucinating. Oh…"

She was slightly shocked when he did abruptly stop and raise his head. He stared at her with his hand still around the back of her neck. "I'm not ill yet," he whispered. "I know exactly what I'm doing." And with that he pulled Saya's head closer to his, crashing their lips together.

Saya did begin to struggle now. She tried to pry his fingers away from her and push on his injured chest when that failed. Orochimaru took a sharp intake of breath, but it did not deter him. He forced his tongue between her lips and into her mouth in retaliation.

He eventually loosened his grip on her neck, and the slow movement of his jaw seemed to calm Saya. He could do worse to her if he wanted, injured or not, but he didn't. Despite the fact that she had just met the man a day previously, she somehow willed herself to stop pushing against him. She was actually transfixed, which Orochimaru picked up on with a low chuckle as she started to kiss him back.

"Lord Orochimaru? I heard you wanted to see me?"

Saya was able to pull away in a flash as they were both surprised by the voice. She turned around to see Kabuto standing in the doorway. His eyes found hers and his face became twisted with despise. She turned back around just as quickly as a blush she knew he couldn't see started to surface on her face.

"Although, if I'm interrupting anything I can come back later," he added while trying to keep that despise out of his voice.

Orochimaru calmly closed his eyes. "No, Kabuto. It was nothing important. Come sit down."

Saya stared at the wall, feeling like a ghost.

**AN: Kabuto is bust-ed. Incoming hissy fit between him and Saya in the next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

**LuciansLycanNightShade: I don't mind numerous instant replies in the least. I'll take any and all reviews I can get. I've gotten the best with story so far. I'm glad you're really liking this and even more glad that's been able to make you laugh. **

**thegriffin88: Yes, you should do it. :) Kabuto is fun to play around with, and I really like the Roadrunner and Wiley comparison. XD**

**LalaMoped: You needs it? Well, you gots it. ^_^**

**misswarchan: I know, they finally kissed. I didn't want to rush into it in a way that would be completely unrealistic. Most of my fics end up being long-term. This one will be over a short span of time, so I'm getting to practice with patience and timing.  
**

**Chapter 6**

What a fucking tease.

Saya closed her eyes and turned in her seat so she was facing away from Orochimaru's calm face. Finding Kabuto's eyes drilling into hers from the opposite couch when she opened them, however, wasn't a welcoming sight. She stared right back at him, almost daring him to say something as the tension between them grew. Saya could feel Orochimaru's eyes looking down at her. She knew he was smirking.

At that moment she didn't know who she wanted to hit more. All she knew was that she was furious on the inside. She was going to have serious words with "Lord" Orochimaru later. Not that he would listen or care. He would probably just smirk at her and try to get handsy again.

He finally turned his golden eyes to Kabuto. "You're behaving like a child."

Kabuto's expression softened drastically as he looked at his lord. He looked much worse up close. A thin sheet of sweat covered his face and dark circles hung under his tired eyes. "I'm quite capable of healing myself-" he softly began.

"Then tell me, Kabuto," Orochimaru interrupted, "if you are as well enough as you say, why have you only healed yourself?"

"Well-"

"After all, weren't my injuries and your weakened state the reason you sent for help?"

Saya stole a quick glance at Orochimaru. He looked relatively calm, but his eyes and tone were beginning to harden. She looked back at Kabuto. It could have been his physical exhaustion, but he looked wounded.

Kabuto sat back against the sofa. He looked at Orochimaru as if to apologize, but it never came. A moment of silence passed between them as they continued to stare at each other before Kabuto closed his eyes. "Head injuries, fractured and broken bones, and deep cuts. Are you educated enough to treat those?"

It took Saya a moment to realize he was speaking to her, and yet another moment to realize he was questioning her level of skill. She gave her jaw a quick clench before putting on a fake grin. "I should be able to. But then again, what does a woman know?" She smiled when he scowled at her.

Saya stood and announced she would leave long enough to get her supplies. Kabuto allowed his weakness to show as he lay down on the couch before she had cleared the room. A fever and who knows what other symptoms would be added to his list of what he questioned whether or not she was qualified to treat. By this point Saya was not looking forward to examining him. She knew he would be difficult on purpose.

Not quite knowing what or how much of what she would need, Saya threw all of her supplies into a bag when she got to her room. She decided to take a moment to sit on her bed and have a moment to herself. Kabuto had been avoiding since her arrival; he wouldn't mind a few minutes waiting.

"Tired?" a voice asked her as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Saya stopped and closed her eyes with a sigh. "What do you want?" she asked Orochimaru as he stepped into her room.

"I wasn't finished."

She turned around to look up at him and jumped. He was right behind her now. "There is nothing to finish," Saya told him as she turned back around. She gathered her bag in her hands and stood to leave the room.

Orochimaru moved in front of her and placed his hands on the sides of her shoulders. "Yes, there is," he whispered.

Saya felt like a caged animal now that he was blocking the only exit. She kept her eyes away from his face as she tried to squirm out of his grip. He only held her tighter. "Let me go," she told him firmly. "I see no reason in finishing "nothing"."

Orochimaru traced her bottom lip with a finger. "Was it more than nothing, Saya?" he asked her, humor creeping into his voice. "You sound disappointed with my choice of words."

She looked up at him then with determination. He wasn't going to get the better of her. "No, it was nothing, but that's not the type of person I am. I don't go around giving out 'nothings'. I've been passive with you, but you've pushed me too far. Now move."

"There's a difference between passive and proactive," he said with a smile, "which is what you were before we were interrupted."

Saya lowered her head. "Let me go," she said again.

Not listening, Orochimaru bent his head to gently bush his lips against hers. "I want to see how long it takes to break that determination." He then released her and left her room to return to his own. "Don't take too long with Kabuto. I still need my time."

If Saya had a blunt object in her hand, she would have bet on herself hitting the man with it. He took not taking "no" for an answer to an entirely new level. Fine then. If he wanted to play, she would play.

Stalking down the halls she returned to the den, hoping Kabuto hadn't given her the slip. Being put in his place kept him still, though. He was still laid out on the couch when Saya returned. He had an arm draped over his eyes as if they hurt.

"What first?" she bluntly asked as she set her bag down on the empty couch.

Kabuto shakily sat up then. "My back," he said as struggled to get his shirt above his head. Medical cloth tape wound around his entire torso, with the back being stained by brown and red patches. Saya sat down behind him as he turned sideways.

She silently began to unwrap the cloth, not bothering to pull easily whenever a spot was stuck to his skin from the dried blood. No bandages were underneath the wrappings seeing as how Kabuto couldn't reach the wounds. Most were still bleeding while other, smaller cuts had stopped sooner.

Saya made no comment as she got up briefly to get her bag. She wanted to fuss at him for letting his wounds go without proper attention, for letting himself get sick, for being too prideful and trying to take care of himself; for pretty much everything.

She poured alcohol onto a rag and rubbed it over his back. Kabuto arched his back with a hiss. "Watch it," he growled at her. Saya applied more pressure to his back, causing him to hiss again.

She ignored him and continued to clean away the dried blood. He didn't need stitches, but that didn't mean the cuts needed less care. Saya applied a generous layer of antibiotic cream over the cuts before properly bandaging them. One particularly long one that ran along most of his back worried her.

"What else?"

Kabuto was already putting his shirt back on. "That's all. I can take care of the rest myself."

Saya sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know what? Fine, get worse and take forever to get better. Both of you can for all I care." She stood and grabbed her bag. Just as she was about to leave, Kabuto smirked and shot a comment at her.

"That's just as well. You're just something for him to look at in the meantime."

Saya stopped in her tracks in the doorway and turned around. She glared at his tired but smiling face. Time to push his buttons right back. "Play with me, actually," she commented with a fake smile. "But you know that, don't you? He's upset about you ruining the mood, by the way."

Kabuto's eyes looked like they could shoot flames. They suddenly weren't as tired, and he certainly wasn't smiling anymore.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?"

"Shut the hell up," he spat as he turned his face away from her.

Saya smiled again. She had indeed hit a nerve. "Are you jealous, Kabuto? Are you upset that your beloved lord would rather have his hands all over a woman than a man? More so, a woman he barely knows over the man that's closest to him?"

There was no vocal reply, but the tension in the room was reply enough.

"No, then? What a shame. He has really soft lips."

Saya's smile dropped as soon as the words left her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that. Continue to jab at him, yes, but she realized there was truth behind her words. Not that she had long to ponder it; Kabuto stood and quickly shot a throwing star at her head. Saya barely had time to duck.

"I said," he spoke through clenched teeth, "shut the hell up."

She stood and looked behind her to a spot on the wall in the hallway. The star was lodged into the wall just as the one he had thrown at Akira was. Saya turned back around to find Kabuto standing tense in the middle of the room. "Do you have an idea what you could have done!" she shouted. "What is your damn problem?"

"You are!" Kabuto spat as he reached into his pocket for another star. He launched it at her with just as much agility as the first.

Saya ducked but ran forward after the flying metal had cleared her head. "I haven't done anything!" she retaliated as she ran into Kabuto with her shoulder curled in. She felt her bones hit against his as he fell to the ground. He cried out horribly as he hit the floor. He struggled to sit up, slapping and shoving at Saya as he did so.

"I'm always there for him," he told her as she scooted away from him. "Always at his side for everything. I fight alongside him and even for him when we are attacked. I heal and take care of him when he is hurt. I do anything he asks of me. Not because it's just my job or that I fear him; I do it to please him." He paused to look over at Saya on the opposite side of the floor.

"And then I got hurt, which brought you to come along. You took what I love to do away from me. And what's worse," he now hardened his tone, "he prefers _you_. Someone he doesn't even know over someone who would cut open their veins for him."

He stopped again to watch her observing him. Saya stared blankly at him, not really knowing what to do or think.

"I saw how he reacted this morning when you burst in. His eyes lightened. You even made him laugh before he allowed you to throw me out. And just earlier-" Kabuto's voice cracked as he dropped his head. "Do you have any idea how it feels? All it took was some female who caught his eye for him to just push me away like child with a worn out toy."

Saya watched as Kabuto put his head between his knees. He sounded as if he was actually in love with the man. She tried to find empathy for him, but just couldn't.

"That's not my fault," she softly told him. "You needed someone to come and help you both. That's what I'm doing. Since you are the medic, I was going to treat you first and spend most of my time on you so you could be well enough to heal him. But no, you pushed me towards him and him alone. I've done nothing but what I was brought here to do."

"That means nothing to me," Kabuto told her as he raised his head. "You could be a one-night whore he sent for, but I'd still be angry."

What a lovely comparison.

"I can't help what he does or feels, Kabuto. If he doesn't see you in that way, me being here or not will not change that." She stood and looked down at him on the floor. "Neither will my responses to him. I'm not doing anything deliberate to get this attention from him."

Saya grabbed her bag and again made to leave.

"What do you think of him?" Kabuto flatly asked her.

Saya almost laughed. She knew their feelings about him were completely different. "You know him better than I do, but if you must know, I think he's rude, arrogant, and infuriating."

What Kabuto didn't hear were the adjectives Saya's subconscious forced into her mind. He looked and sounded completely broken when he told her, "He's beautiful."

"I know," Saya agreed. She walked away before Kabuto turned around to find her gone.

**AN: Just because you can't stand someone doesn't mean you can't think they're pretty. And tempting.  
**

**Kabuto's outburst is a little different than what I was originally planning. I thought of the two being more childish, but it ended up being more on the serious side. Kabuto's quick to harm others anyways, so adding that he's in pain, sick, and possibly emotionally upset made me write him in a more violent way. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Saya's rushing thoughts kept her standing paralyzed outside Orochimaru's room. She stood beside the door and out of view for several minutes debating on what to do. She wanted to talk to him about Kabuto, even though she didn't feel as if it was her place to discuss his feelings. She was also worried about his ill state and violent attitude.

She didn't want to see Orochimaru, though. Saya knew he would harass her again. She couldn't quite wrap her head around the man. It was true that she did find him rude, arrogant, and infuriating, but she also found him strangely interesting. Was it possible she subconsciously enjoyed his company? Or maybe it was because he had prettier hair than most women she knew.

Saya rubbed the spot on her arm that he had earlier grabbed. Yes, it had to be his looks alone. Calming her nerves before doing so, she knocked softly on the door before pushing it open.

Orochimaru was getting into bed as she entered and closed the door behind her. "You were fast," he commented with a smirk.

"I need to have a serious talk with you," she calmly replied, "about Kabuto."

His smirk disappeared as his face stiffened. "How is he?"

Saya was a bit surprised by the question. She had expected something along the lines of 'What did he do now?' She sighed as she walked farther into the room, stopping at the end of Orochimaru's bed. "I'm not entirely sure." She held up the two throwing stars he had thrown at her. She had pried them out of the wall on her way back. "But I am sure that I don't feel entirely safe."

Orochimaru strained to see what was in her hand. "Shuriken?" he almost laughed.

Saya threw them down onto his bed with some force. "I don't see what's so funny about that. He aimed to hit."

"What did you do?"

Oh, so she was the one who had done something wrong. Well…maybe she had. "We had words, among other things." Saya shrugged. "He threw those at me, so I knocked him to the ground."

Orochimaru laughed. Not chuckled, but actually laughed. Saya, however, crossed her arms with a scowl. His laughing ceased with a sharp intake of breath from the pain in his ribs. Saya instinctively stepped forward, raising a hand that she had to stop herself from laying comfortingly on his shoulder.

"You two are just alike," he told her once the pain had passed. "You both demand to have your own way and get impatient when you don't." Saya started to protest, but he was able to quiet her with a raised eyebrow.

"I just think you should talk with him," Saya continued. "He looks awful, so I'm guessing he's falling ill. He needs to rest. I think you'll be able to talk sense into him if you speak to him alone. He'll listen to you."

"He will do anything I ask," Orochimaru agreed.

Saya couldn't help but smile. "That's exactly what he said." She paused as she debated on elaborating her discussion with Kabuto.

"I'm aware he holds a certain fondness for me," Orochimaru admitted, "but I prefer to see it as the same sort of fondness a student holds for their sensei. Nothing more."

In other words, he didn't want to hear about it. That was that, then. Saya wondered if Kabuto knew or even suspected that Orochimaru would never return those same feelings for him. Maybe their current relationship as lord and second in command was enough for him to settle for. That is, until she apparently threatened that.

Saya noticed Orochimaru watching her and shook herself out of her deep thought. "How are you feeling?" she asked, getting back to business. "Any new symptoms?"

Getting back to business meant something entirely different to Orochimaru. He grinned slyly at her from his bed.

Saya narrowed her eyes. "Seriously, are you feverish? Because I've never met a man that so strongly believes he has the right to act this way."

Still grinning, Orochimaru slightly cocked his head. "Sit down, Saya," he calmly told her. She did so on the edge of the bed. "When I set my sights on something, I get it, and I use whatever mean necessary to do so. I'm very good at persuasion, and when that doesn't work, being a shinobi prodigy has its advantages."

"Well," Saya said as she crossed her arms, "I'm sorry to tell you, your lordship, but I'm not so easily impressed. If you do indeed get everything you want, you don't get it because you work to earn it. Especially since you're such a "prodigy" who was more than likely spoiled as a child."

"By my parents?" Orochimaru asked with a self-satisfied tone. "They passed almost as soon as my training started. I should have been around the same age as you when yours passed, actually. I was nothing but a student to them before that. From then on I had nothing to live for but my training. My success and status was rightfully earned, and I will tell you I put an immense amount of time, energy, sweat, and blood into earning it. I in fact work quite hard to get what I want, Saya."

Saya uncrossed her arms and folded her hands in her lap. She felt the exact same way about herself. Orochimaru must indeed be a powerful shinobi in order to be where he is now. That didn't mean he had to be a smug jerk, though.

"How fortunate for you, then," she replied with a smirk, "but I'm still not impressed. Even if I were, what would you do?"

As soon as the question left her mouth, Saya regretted it. Orochimaru's gaze held nothing but sin. "A man gets lonely from time to time. Unbearably so given the right company." He began to move closer to her.

Here we go again. "That is neither my concern nor my duty. I'm here to take care of you."

"Then take care of me," he told her as he continued to close in on her. Saya put a hand on his ribcage and pushed against him. His face showed his discomfort, but he resisted her force. "I'm not a fool, Saya. I know exactly the type of woman you are. You don't want to appear weak or without morals, so you appear to be appalled by my advances." Saya pushed against him harder as he got closer to her face. "But I know that you are truly curious."

Saya looked at him with angry eyes to contrast his bright ones. "Or I'm simply not interested."

"Lies," Orochimaru replied with a smile. "You would be far more aggressive if that were the case. You do get frustrated with me, but yet you come back knowing very well I will be relentless."

"I don't even know you," Saya managed before her lips were claimed. It was brief, but it was enough to see victory in the man's eyes.

"Physical attraction is a pest, isn't it?" Orochimaru asked as he cupped her face with his good hand. "Don't feel so bad, it's completely natural." He kissed her again, but this one was anything but brief. His hand ran along her face and through her hair, grabbing at it to force her head to stay up.

Not only did Saya let him, but she kissed him back. Her hand ceased the pressure on his ribcage and instead found its way up to his neck. Orochimaru smiled against her mouth at her touch.

Was this the intrigue Saya had towards him? Physical attraction? She didn't think herself to be such a shallow person. She pulled away from Orochimaru as if she was suddenly startled. "Stop it," she told him in a hard tone. "Just stop it."

Orochimaru tightly held her chin between his fingers. "You shouldn't tease a snake. Their strikes are fast and unexpected."

Saya smacked his hand away from her face and stood up. "I have no use for such disgusting creatures."

With speed that made his injuries seem fake, Orochimaru stood and grabbed her by the throat. He lifted her off the floor long enough to push her against the wall. Saya smacked and kicked at him, but he absorbed every hit she made. His furious eyes drilled into her before softening.

"You will," he told her before he bent down to sink his teeth into her neck.

Saya arched her back with a hiss as his pointed canines dug into her skin. He continued to close his jaw, pressing down into the tight muscles of her neck. The pressure was anything but human, and Saya began to panic as it increased. With his hand still tightly around her throat, she started to get light headed. Blackness started to form in clouds in her vision as a streak of pain shot through her head.

Orochimaru let go of her neck quickly. Saya gasped as she felt his teeth leave her neck and tear her skin. She dropped to her knees on the floor where her vision still continued to fade. A wave of nausea hit her as she looked up at him. He stood over her with a smile on his face, not bothering to catch her as her consciousness finally slipped away.

**AN: For those of you wondering, things will start picking up between the two of them soon. **


	8. Chapter 8

**I wrote this in like 5 minutes, guys. Monster is awesome. Granted it is shorter than most, but I don't want to start another day in the same chapter.  
**

**Chapter 8**

_Drops of drizzling rain made soft patters on the leaves of the trees. A small silver-blue bird sat under a particularly large leaf to escape the precipitation. It sat stiff as a stone and blinked slowly, made relaxed by the quiet of the forest. Also quiet was a stunningly white snake. _

_The serpent slowly inched its way along the sturdy branch, not disturbing even a single leaf. Its tongue flicked wildly as the bird's scent filled the air. The slitted pupils of the snake dilated as it slithered closer to the unaware bird. _

_It continued to inch closer to the bird, and what a foolish bird it was. It was impossible not to see the snake out of the corner of its eyes. It continued to remain still as dripping wet fangs invaded its vision._

_Saya jumped at the sight of the snake striking at her. She looked down at her feet that were becoming covered with mud and backed into a tree. With a gasp she turned around as a hiss sounded in her ear. It went through her entire body. A second white snake sat on a branch behind her. It fell to the ground as it too struck at her. _

_It slithered frantically on the ground as it tried to reach her feet. Saya squealed with a shiver as she turned and ran. More white snakes hung from branches, snipping at her as she ran past. Tears started to run down her face as the forest grew darker. _

_She stopped as total blackness finally surrounded her. A hiss enveloped the silence in the air. It repeated as it grew more distinct. What started as a hiss grew to be her name. Both panic and elation filled her body as it continued. _

_A white mist formed ahead and began to float toward her. As with the hiss, it continued to gain substance the more her senses keened to it. The rough outline of a man formed as it stopped in front of her. His lips were the first to solidify as they connected with hers. _

_Saya sighed as her hands became tangled in soft black hair. She looked up at his face, but it remained foggy. Only a smiling mouth with pointed teeth covered his face._

_His smiled widened as Saya felt him pressing down on her as she found herself on her back. Warm, unmarred skin seemed to melt into hers. Saya closed her eyes with a grin as she snuggled closer to it. Her pleasantness was interrupted as pain shot through her, followed by immense heat that spread through her abdomen. _

_She heard an all too familiar chuckle that made her look up, but still all she could see of his face was his smile. Her breathing became ragged as an unfamiliar but electrifying sensation radiated throughout her body. It was over in an instant as her vision darkened. _

_When it returned, she was comfortably tangled in cool sheets with a pale arm draped over her. She smiled drowsily as she turned over. Golden eyes set in the head of a giant white snake looked back at her. Its thick coils quickly wrapped around her body, crushing her lungs. Saya tried to scream, but the snake only squeezed harder. _

_A forked tongue flicked across her face as the snake observed her. What looked like a smile pulled at its mouth before it struck at her face. _

Orochimaru looked on from the end of his bed. He had been watching her for some time now, interested as he had never stayed around long enough to watch the effects of his toxic bite. A pillow propped under the unconscious girl's head was all he could or cared to do.

Saya tensed and thrashed from side to side quite often. Her face changed just as often. Every emotion from anger to joy spread across it many times. A few droplets of blood stained the pillow where his bite marks started to bleed.

He somewhat regretted biting her now. But only because he wouldn't be able to play with her now. He enjoyed her stubbornness no matter how heated it made him. He suspected she thought it would make him grow tired of her, but she was far from right.

As Saya calmed and drifted off to sleep, he became bored of watching her. Orochimaru climbed into bed as his own exhaustion hit him. There was nothing he could now but let her lie there until she finally woke. He could only imagine how she would react when she did. A grin spread across his face as he put out the lights and laid his head down.

**The mist and body formation is based on the scene in The Order of the Phoenix where Voldemort comes up to Harry in the form of mist. His was much more awesome, though. **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I hope this chapter is enjoyable. I had a lot of fun writing it. :)**

**Chapter 9**

Saya slept surprisingly well, as far as he could tell. Orochimaru was never a heavy sleeper and woke during the night, every night, quite often. He had a particularly difficult time falling and staying asleep that night. Every scuffle Saya made on the floor made him wonder if she was getting up. His body went rigid and ears pricked with anticipation each time this happened.

He didn't know why. What would he do if she did get up?

Better yet, what would she do herself?

With that said, morning came early for the man. He stayed in bed for quite a while, though. This was the main reason he wanted to be up and moving around during the day: his cuts dried over when he stayed in place too long. He didn't want them to open up enough to bleed, but it was terribly uncomfortable to have them rip and tear when he did move around after staying still.

Orochimaru eventually peered over into the floor at the sleeping nurse. The blood stain on her pillow had grown, but that's not what caught his attention. From his bed he could see that her neck was horribly bruised. Curiosity got the better of him as he carefully got out of bed.

His feet stopped just beside the pillow. He looked over her neck from behind his black curtain of hair. A lazy smirk pulled at one corner of his mouth. He sometimes amazed himself at what he could do with minimal effort.

That smirk was replaced with a grimace as he bent down into a squat. He lightly curled a finger around her dark hair and moved what was covering the rest of her neck. Orochimaru almost gasped in surprise when Saya quickly swatted his hand away. Increased breathing and flickering eyelashes told him that she was still out.

There was one eye movement that caught his attention, though. After she calmed down, Saya's eyes moved toward Orochimaru under her eyelids and stayed there for a moment. His smirk returned. Orochimaru continued to let his finger run through bits of her hair.

"Get. Away." Saya growled.

He chuckled as he sat down on the floor. "So, you are awake after all. I was beginning to worry about you."

She opened her eyes then. The bright silver was now replaced will dull grey that appeared to be out of focus as she looked up at him. "Get away," she breathed. Her eyes began to clear as she focused on his mouth, the same one from her dream. Nausea rolled over her as she made an attempt to move across the floor. She stopped as soon as she started.

"What did you do to me?" she asked as she buried her face in her arms.

Orochimaru involuntarily ran his tongue over one of his teeth. "You'll be fine."

Saya quickly shot up and turned to face him. "That is notwhat I asked!" She was close enough to make his hair blow as she spoke.

His words caught in his throat as her eyes stared him down. The foggy eyes he saw just a moment ago were now sharp and animalistic. Blackness was creeping in from the edge of the irises. He was brought back to his senses as Saya swiftly struck him across the face. The sound of her hand connecting with his face seemed all too loud.

Orochimaru's eyes burned with rage as he saw her hand coming toward his face again just as he was reclaiming himself. He grabbed it and twisted her arm. Saya fell forward into his chest as the pain in her arm met the pain in her head. He looked down at her as she angrily breathed against his chest.

"That is a _very _bad idea," he told her.

Saya sat still for a moment, save for her heavy breathing. For a moment it seemed as though she was going to calm down. Awkwardly so, she slammed the fist of her free arm down onto his injured hip. Orochimaru cursed loudly and twisted her arm that much more. Saya was laughing softly.

Orochimaru released her arm, but only to wrap his hand around her injured neck. He drew her up and pushed her back against the side of the bed. Saya instinctively clawed at his fingers, but he then began to squeeze, making sure to dig his thumb into to spot he bit.

She cried out in pain and anger as he did so. The pressure was much worse than his bite. So much so that she was afraid her neck would snap. She felt tears welling up, but she blinked them away. There was no way she was going to cry in front of him. Instead, she opened her eyes to look back at him.

Her eyes softened, but they exposed the fear she was experiencing. She stopped trying to pry his hand away from her and instead let hers rest on his wrist. Orochimaru loosened his grip, but only just a little. His eyes trailed down to her hands and back to her eyes.

With a scowl on his face he let his hand drop. He leaned in close to her face, his expression changing as he heard a small gasp from her. "You're lucky," he told her before his tongue extended to quickly flick her lips.

Saya closed her eyes and turned her head. It only further exposed her neck to him. Orochimaru leaned even further in to brush his lips against her neck. Saya both tensed and relaxed at the same time as his lips glided against it. She didn't quite know what to expect. Another bite or general discomfort, but instead it was the exact opposite.

As he continued to kiss her neck, the throbbing pain began to cease. Even the pain in her head was breaking up and beginning to clear. Frowning, she moved her head so he could have better access.

"How are you doing that?" Saya breathed.

"Doing what?" He stopped moving his lips long enough to look up at her, surprised by her calm tone.

Saya looked down at him before gently moving away. "Nothing."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond his door slid open.

"Lord Orochimaru? I heard shouting."

Kabuto stood at the door. He was all but hanging onto it to support himself. His eyes slowly scanned over Orochimaru, Saya, and then to her bloodied pillow close by them.

Saya looked worriedly at him. His fists were clenching at his side and his breathing was uneven. Her focus changed at she looked to Orochimaru for his response. He found her eyes and smirked. "It's nothing," he said lightly.

Her eyes turned to stone as he continued to look at her with that smirk on his face. "Bastard," she called him through clenched teeth.

Ignoring Kabuto's presence, Orochimaru leaned in and kissed her deeply with a chuckle. With a scowl on her face, Saya thrust her fist up into his ribcage. Genuinely off guard, he pulled away with a loud gasp and bent over her lap in pain.

"Hey!" Kabuto shouted at her as she scrambled away. He rushed into the room the best he could and knocked her off her feet. Saya felt her head jar as it hit the floor.

"Kabuto! Stop-" Orochimaru ordered before he went into a fit of coughing.

Kabuto stopped long enough to notice this. He moved towards his lord in order to help him get to his feet, but a shiny object on the bed caught his attention. Two shuriken lay on the bed from the night before. He stole a quick glance at Saya before he snatched them up. Orochimaru saw this out of the corner of his eyes. He ordered Kabuto to stop yet again.

Orochimaru was as quiet as the wind to him at that point. Kabuto raised one of the throwing stars and let it fly. There was an amazing amount of force behind it given his weakened state, therefore Kabuto smiled not only when the metal embedded itself into one of Saya's hands, but also as a point went all the way through and pinned her to the floor.

Saya screamed in both shock and agony, made worse as every small movement made the shuriken dig that much farther into her hand. A stream of curses and threats escaped her lips as her other hand dug into the floor. Tears started to run down her face and onto the floor as she saw Kabuto's shadow looming over her.

"Orochimaru, please…" she begged.

Holding his abdomen tightly, he rose to his feet. He wasn't quick enough, though.

Kabuto quickly bent over Saya's back and grabbed a handful of her hair. Pulling it taut, her bruised neck rose and became exposed to him. He blanched for a second. "He bit you?"

Orochimaru gaped at him as he noticed that Kabuto still had one shuriken left in his hand. He rushed over to him and grabbed the back of his shirt, but his one good hand was not enough to keep him from plunging the remaining star into Saya's neck.

Orochimaru hauled Kabuto to his feet as Saya let out a blood-curdling scream. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked as he pinned the other man to the wall. Kabuto grimaced as a sore spot on his head made contact with the wood. "Reverse this," Orochimaru hissed. "Now!"

"I c-can't."

Orochimaru pushed him further into the wall. "You've been secretly healing yourself so you could sneak around. You will heal her."

Kabuto tried his best to turn his head away from his lord's murderous gaze. "I can't anymore. I'm too sick," he finally admitted. He gasped as he was released and fell to his knees. Mixed feelings boiled within him as he watched Orochimaru ignore his own pain to bend down beside Saya and lay a hand on her back.

"Then tell me how."

Shaking his head Kabuto told him, "You'll have to channel your chakra into her. It's advanced even for medical ninja."

Orochimaru scowled at him before turning his attention back to Saya. She was growing pale as her blood kept running onto the floor. Her screams had been reduced to whimpers. "Hold still," he told her. Saya's body contracted as he pulled the first shuriken out of her hand. She looked up at Orochimaru with pleading eyes as she turned over.

His eyes quickly darted back and forth between her wet and weakening eyes to the second star protruding from her neck. He gripped it firmly and allowed her a deep breath before he quickly jerked it out. Saya screamed loudly for a second time as tissue was ripped out of her neck along with the metal. She sobbed as she held a hand to her bleeding neck.

"Hush," Orochimaru gently told her. He gently laid his hands on her throat and the wound, noticing for the first time that the cast on his left arm would not provide an adequate flow. Focusing more on his right hand, he willed his chakra to flow through it and into Saya's neck.

"No," Kabuto protested, "Lord Orochimaru, you're too weak."

Ignoring him, he continued to focus on transferring his chakra. A small flash of a smile graced his face as Saya's neck started to glow with energy. He instantly felt his energy quickly draining from him. Saya looked up at him with both fear and hope. Their eyes locked for a moment as the gash slowly started to close.

"You'll be fine," he told her with a slight grin. It slipped as his eyelids fluttered and his body started to sway.

"Lord Orochimaru-" Kabuto started.

The lord continued to ignore the other man as he kept his attention on channeling his chakra. His whole body eventually began to shake as the gash downgraded to a slight cut. Saya grabbed at his clothes with her uninjured hand. "S-stop," she rasped as she began to speak, "You're going to faint."

And she was right. Before the word left her mouth, Orochimaru's eyes rolled back as his eyelids closed and his body went limp. Saya was able to sit up in time to catch him, letting his head fall onto her shoulder. She looked at Kabuto who was standing frozen to the spot from watching them. His mouth was even gaping open.

"Help me get him to bed," she shakily asked.

Kabuto moved forward with as much energy as a zombie. He hooked one of his arms under Orochimaru's as Saya did with the other. Together they raised him from the floor and carefully dragged him into bed. Saya sat down on the edge of the bed with her back to Kabuto, sniffling like he wasn't there.

"Your hand's still injured," he mentioned.

"You don't think I know that?" Saya yelled in a hoarse voice. "Or are you just rubbing it in?"

Kabuto stared down at Orochimaru with wild eyes from all the excitement. He started to speak but changed his line of thought. "I'll get something for that," he offered as he quickly left the room.

Saya would have been shocked, but decided to pay him no mind as she too looked down at the passed out lord. His skin was beginning to dampen from his unconscious state. She brushed his hair away from his face with her right hand; her left was cradled in her lap.

More tears streamed down her face as her neck tingled as the remnants of chakra continued to weave her skin back together. "You stupid man," she whispered.

**AN: For those of you who've never passed out, let me tell you that it can be complete hell. (eat before blood work, folks!) I watched Shippuden 113 today and found myself wanting to say "Poor baby!" so many times. Expect it rub off. :p  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thanks to those who have recently signed up for alerts and favorites. ^_^  
**

**Chapter 10**

Saya sat on the floor at the head of Orochimaru's bed, waiting for the man to wake. There wasn't much else she could will herself to do but stare at the wall and wait for him to stir. In just twelve hours the man had done something horrible to her, something she still had no clue about, and had saved her life. It was as if he had bi-polar disorder.

A dull prickling made Saya rub her neck every now and again. It wasn't hurting like it was before, but it was still uncomfortable. She wondered if Orochimaru had also healed it along with the gash. It was still hard for her to wrap her head around what had earlier happened. Kabuto was way out of line, that was for sure, and Orochimaru could have very well left her there to die.

On the other side of the room, and the bed, Kabuto stood up against the wall and watched his lord like a hawk. Saya didn't feel the least bit comfortable, even if he had brought her the needed supplies for her injured hand.

"You should go lie down," she eventually dared to tell him.

For a while it seemed as though Kabuto had already left the room, but he finally replied. "I should stay with him. This is my fault."

Saya couldn't agree more with the latter statement. Otherwise, she really wanted him out of the room. She was staying by choice, but she also felt like he was blocking her exit. She continued to push at him. "I'm sure he would rather have you resting than worrying. You may be the better of you both now."

Kabuto pinched the bridge of his nose and readjusted his glasses. "Maybe you're right," he muttered before finally leaving the room. He left like a dog with its tail between its legs.

A minute passed until Saya peeked over the bed to make sure he was really gone. She sighed a breath of relief when she saw the room was empty, save for her and the man in the bed. It would be some time before she bantered with Kabuto again. She may not be so lucky the next time.

Saya gently sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over Orochimaru. "Hey," she whispered as she shook his shoulder, "wake up."

Little did both of them know, but Orochimaru had slowly been regaining his consciousness over the past few minutes. The more Saya shook him, the closer he came to being able to open his eyes. Needless to say, Saya jumped with a start as his eyes flew open.

Orochimaru blinked several times before rubbing at the darkness that clouded his vision. His tired face turned to the blur that was close to his face. "Saya?"

"Finally," she said as he tried to sit up. She put her hand on his back for support.

His head slumped back once he was upright. Saya tucked his pillows up behind him. As his mind began to clear, Orochimaru turned his attention to her in the form of gazing at her neck. He met her eyes once he noticed she was shaking.

Forgetting everything else he had done to her, Saya leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Orochimaru's eyes instantly widened as he uttered a slight gasp. His eyes looked over towards her, but all he could see was her dark hair.

"Why did you do that?" she asked directly into his ear.

Orochimaru opened his mouth to speak, but he just as quickly lost his words. He pushed on her back until she was right up against him and wrapped his good arm around her. "What he did was uncalled for."

"Then what about what you did to me last night?"

He smirked as he ran his hand over her hair. "That's completely different."

Saya rolled her eyes and dropped her arms, but he still held her close. "I just don't understand you at all. Nothing you say or do makes any sense."

"It would be startling if you did," he muttered in response, lowering his gaze.

"What?" Saya quickly asked. She pulled back enough to look at his face.

Orochimaru grinned before his eyes rose to meet hers again. "Nothing. Now, how are you feeling?"

Saya was taken aback. Had he just asked her how she was doing? He had just regained his consciousness after passing out from some fancy shinobi healing. Add that on top of his other injuries and it made for a surprising question.

She looked down at her hand. Orochimaru only had to follow her eyes to know how she would reply.

"Let me see it," he offered as he held his own hand out to her.

Saya shook her head and kept her hand in her lap. "And you call me stubborn. You just came to! While we're on about it, just why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

He chuckled. "You hurt my feelings, Saya. I thought I had been nice to you since you arrived." His pupils expanded and shrunk before he continued in a harsher tone. "And believe me, nothing I have done to you could be considered horrible in comparison to what I could do."

"That still doesn't answer my question." She folded her arms and looked back at him without a twinge of fear.

Orochimaru shrugged. "Sorry."

A sharp twinge in her neck made Saya's shoulders tighten and roll forward. She grabbed at the spot as it continued to pulse sharp pains throughout her neck. She eyed Orochimaru with an expression that was sharp and soft at the same time. "What do you want with me?"

"I think the real question here is," he started as he sat up further, "what do you want me to do with you?"

Saya lowered her brow in confusion.

"Your body language says more than you think and if you will recall last night before things went awry, well, I think it's clear what's going on inside that head of yours. You're just so defiant, even of yourself."

She looked past stands of black hair and into his golden eyes. This was the first time in a while she really looked at them instead of him. They really did match the eyes of any snake she had seen before. But as she scanned over the rest of his face, she knew he wasn't. Literally speaking, anyway. But instead he was a man.

Saya dropped her eyes and chose to focus on a spot on the bed, anything that wasn't part of him. Orochimaru took the opportunity to hold his hand out to her. She saw it enter her line of vision and went rigid. Her blood pounded in her ears as she debated on what to do. Something inside her made her want to take his hand, but she knew that doing so would mean letting him win.

Sensing her dilemma, Orochimaru raised his hand to brush it against her face. "I can be gentle and," he told her as he then reached for her hand. He held it loosely as he brought it up to his mouth. He moved it so Saya's fingers slowly brushed against his lips before he lowered it. "I don't always bite."

She willed herself to look back up into his eyes. "And what happens when it's time for me to leave?"

"Don't worry about that right now," he told her softly.

"But-"

Orochimaru spoke softly again. "Saya, don't think about it right now. When the time comes, you can decide for yourself."

A moment passed as the thought was pushed to the back of her mind. Not completely forgotten, but certainly far enough for her to ask, "How gentle?"

Saya went still as she let Orochimaru put an arm around her and pull her back to his chest. Her head rest in the crook of his arm with widened eyes. They darted around the room in anticipation as he continued to hold her there. Not that he had an actual hold on her; she could have easily moved away if she wanted to. Still, she waited for him to make another move as she sat there against him.

Her back tingled as she sensed his eyes on her, forcing her to instinctively turn her head. She looked up at him with wide eyes and slightly raised brows. He was indeed looking down at her, but not in his usual harsh way. Maybe it was her bewildered expression.

His eyes were tired, though. They clearly showed just how much energy had been drained from him earlier that morning. Saya couldn't help but let the scene play out in her mind again. The way his eyes moved frantically in their sockets before he pulled the weapon out of her neck, the way he grinned at her as he witnessed her wound closing, and especially the way he continued to heal her until his body gave out.

Orochimaru's arm fell as Saya sat up. For the first time the close proximity of their faces was peaceful, and Saya couldn't help but grin. She would be angry with herself later, but she let her head learn forward and close the distance between them. A smile formed against her mouth as she closed her eyes.

As he mentioned, Orochimaru was gentle with her. He let his hand rest on her back instead of pushing against it and pushing her toward him. Even when Saya parted her lips to let his tongue enter her mouth and when she cupped his face in her hands, his intensity rose but he let her lead.

Saya's head was swimming in the meantime. Her stomach was doing somersaults from the mix of jubilation and loathing. She hated the fact that one good deed, granted a large one, was enough to push her feelings of disgust aside. That and a pair of alluring eyes was all it took to unlock an animalistic need within her.

But it wasn't just his eyes. It was his dark flowing hair, his paper white skin, his battle hardened muscles, his confidence, even his silly purple eye markings. Everything about him drew her eyes to him.

Saya slowly drew her lips away from him, but she let her forehead rest against his. His heavy breathing could be felt against the top of her neck. Her hands dropped from his face and instead held the bottom of his neck. As she opened her eyes, she found Orochimaru calmly looking back at her, albeit a small glint in his eye.

She laughed softly and asked, "So what's the next try of my patience? Hold me down and try to take me against my will?"

Orochimaru was as still and calm as could be when he answered with a question of his own. "Would you like that?"

**AN: Don't forget to review. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Dammit."

Kabuto stood just inside of his room with the door closed. His fingers were pinching the bridge of his nose, both from frustration and exhaustion. Angrily, he took his glasses off and wiped at his damp forehead with his arm.

That woman – no - that girl was driving him mad. Why couldn't he be selfish and just stay in bed and away from her?

With that thought, Kabuto slowly made his was over to his bed and collapsed on top of it. He grimaced as the sudden movement shot pain through his throbbing head. The commotion from earlier was too much for his sick and injured body to handle. He could feel an immense ache coming on.

Kabuto turned his head so he was facing the wall. He opened his tired eyes and found a spot on the wall to stare at. He had never felt like this before. Not just this degree of sick and injured, but so unimportant. Was he not the one who did everything for Orochimaru; the one who easily preformed the most dangerous of missions in his stead? Now he couldn't even get him a glass of water.

But Saya could, among other things. Kabuto's eyes narrowed as he thought of her. Why would Orochimaru risk what little energy and well-being he had to heal her? She was no one, just a temporary hired hand. At best she was just someone for him to, as she jokingly put it, "play with". Hardly someone worth saving, especially since she was so hostile.

For some reason though, Orochimaru enjoyed her company. Even Kabuto wasn't asked to spend personal time with him. Sure, he was allowed to get close to him for other reasons. But they were always about important business matters.

Then there was the matter of him biting and possibly cursing her. Why would he do that? He wanted something out of her, a reason to keep her close to him. But what? Kabuto blanched at the thought. Having her around all the time would be hell, and what would become of it? As long as he had followed him, Kabuto had never heard Orochimaru speak of romantic relationships.

The image of the two of them kissing flooded his mind. Anger set Kabuto's nerves on fire. He closed his eyes and buried his face into the sheets.

That stupid girl was stealing more than just his job.

He was an idiot for thinking it would ever be possible, though. There were too many things working against him. Orochimaru was not the loving type. Not in front of him, anyway. But why should he be? Kabuto knew he was only valuable to Orochimaru because of his medical expertise and loyalty.

He just didn't want to know it.

Kabuto fisted a handful of the bed sheets as his eyes became watery. To stop his sadness from getting the better of him, he distracted himself by punching a sore spot in his abdomen. His face stiffened but his eyes refused to dry as pain radiated throughout his body.

"What is wrong with me?" he asked himself in a whisper.

His fever was getting the better of him. His feelings were never this unchecked.

Kabuto set his glasses on the nightstand and covered himself with a blanket. Maybe it would be best if he stayed in bed for a day or two. He was lucky he was able to get around in the first place. Not to mention he would get some much needed solitude. Although, Kabuto had the feeling his thoughts would get the better of him as he lay there by himself.

He almost laughed at himself.

Saya wasn't a shinobi. She was no fighter. If she had indeed received some form of curse, it would quickly eat away at her once she left.

Kabuto smiled. Yes, he would stay in bed and get well like a good patient. It was a shame Orochimaru had to play the knight in shining armor.

**AN: Yep, another short chapter. One that doesn't help the cliffhanger at all. I'm mean like that. I didn't have a good day. Kabuto's not having a good day. I decided to give him some attention. **

**Pssst. I may start working on some fanart for this. Not making any promises, but I have some new Prismacolor pencils and markers I need to use.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Intensity that could have created lightning streamed between their eyes. Saya and Orochimaru remained with their foreheads pressed together and eyes staring at each other. Their breaths were still slightly uneven from their deep kiss. A full minute passed after Orochimaru asked his question.

Saya backed away from him as she stood. "Your bandages need to be changed."

Orochimaru laughed. "While that is completely irrelevant, it's not a 'no'."

She closed her eyes and crossed my arms. "I'm neither obligated nor interested in acknowledging the question. Besides, we both know what my answer is."

"Then why did you back away from me?"

Saya's eyes shot open as her brow narrowed. "Shut up. This is why I'm passive with you. You have a smartass answer to every response I make. But since I'm going to get one regardless, I'll tell you that my answer is no." She paused when she saw him grinning at her. "Stop smiling!"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes as his grin spread further.

Saya turned with a huff. "Get undressed while I get my supplies."

"Gladly," Orochimaru told her as she left the room, laughing as she scoffed outside the door.

Saya matched to her room and all but slammed the door shut. She knew no good would come from kissing him. No he would press her into doing more progressive actions. Her stomach turned at the thought.

With a sigh she rummaged through the clothes Akira had brought her and found a navy kimono. She slipped off the wrinkled black dress she had been wearing and slipped the new material over her skin. Saya was satisfied that the clothes fit her properly, but she also wondered who they belonged to. There were only a few people Saya had seen since her stay and they were all men.

Maybe Orochimaru used to have a girl that took off in a hurry. Saya wouldn't have blamed her if he treated all women like he did her. She suddenly felt uncomfortable in the clothes as the thought crossed her mind.

Saya grabbed her bag of supplies as she pushed the thought aside and made her way back to Orochimaru's room. She would much rather be on her way to the kitchen for something to eat. There hadn't been many opportunities for her to eat.

Bracing herself for a smirk and another sarcastic comment, Saya reentered the man's room. He had taken his night clothes off and folded them over the bed. Instead of smirking, Orochimaru laid back against his pillows with his eyes closed, still clearly exhausted. He stirred as Saya sat down next to him.

"So, how are your ribs?" Saya asked with a self-satisfied smirk of her own. She knew she had hurt him when she punched him earlier.

"I wouldn't act so pleased," he told her. "The worse I get only lengthens your stay."

Saya peeled away the bandage that covered his forehead. The cut was healed to a mere scratch now. She almost grinned at the fact that part of his face wouldn't be covered up anymore, but she quickly bit her tongue to hold it back. "The longer I stay, the more I get paid." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You are going to pay me, aren't you?"

"Yes," Orochimaru sighed as she peeled away the bandages on his neck and collar. They too were quickly healing. They weren't as small as the scratch running along his forehead, but they were well closed. Saya shared this with him.

"My stay may not be lengthened after all, but you're still weak and susceptible to a fever," she added.

Orochimaru clenched his jaw and remained silent as Saya pulled back the bandage on his hip. A bruise had spread across his pale skin and the edges of the wound were cracked open. "I'll be deducting you for that."

"You asked for it," Saya quickly shot. "Besides, it's not that much worse."

"It hurts like hell," he snapped back at her with sharp eyes. "Not to mention my ribs."

Saya rummaged through her bag until she found a bottle of pain pills and set them down on his bedside table. "You should have told me." She softened her expression as she looked him in the face. "Why is it so hard for the two of you to admit you need help?"

Orochimaru looked away. "It's a sign of weakness, just as in nature. The sick and injured are the ones preyed upon. Hiding it is instinct."

"But not from the one who's supposed to fix the weakness."

Saya watched him and noticed an inner struggle that was playing out across his face. He even started to respond but failed. She assumed there was more to it. If he was a great of a ninja as he said, then being injured and having to heal this way must be working on his pride. And he had a lot of it.

Orochimaru eventually closed his eyes. He was weaker than Saya thought.

"I can come back later if you'd like to go to sleep."

"I'd like that. But first, could you-" Orochimaru placed his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Saya almost laughed. "Sure," she told him as she moved to sit behind him. Her hands dug into his muscles as soon as they hit his skin. Orochimaru jerked forward slightly in pain. "You don't get this often, do you?" Saya eased up on her pressure.

"Never," he breathed. He arched his back as Saya went lower and dug into his shoulder blades. "Careful."

"Careful?" Saya asked. "You must feel absolutely terrible if can't even snap at me properly."

She raised an eyebrow when there was no reply. It wasn't certain whether it was from exhaustion or if he had nothing to say to her, although that was a stretch. He could always tell her to shut up. It was an awkward moment as Saya began to blush. He was exhausted because of her.

She debated on how to handle to situation. Saya wasn't convinced he had healed her just because Kabuto was out of line. He didn't know her very well and had shown he didn't have any respect for her.

That said, she couldn't deny that she was gaining interest in him. How would she react to it, though? Did she want to give in to his advances and have a quick fling with him or did she want something more? Saya hadn't been open to serious relationships for some time. A long-time relationship that ended horribly had turned her off of dating.

But more importantly, what did Orochimaru want? It would only be a disaster if he just wanted to play with her while she was around and Saya wanted more. Maybe it would be best if she went back to ignoring him.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked her.

Saya blinked several times when she noticed her eyes were out of focus. "What?"

"Your hand. That's why you stopped."

She looked down to see that her hands were lying dormant against his skin. She hadn't realized she had stopped. "Oh, well yes. It does."

Orochimaru once again offered to heal it. Saya once again turned him down.

"You'll just pass out again. I can tell by looking at you that you're barely able to sit up. You'll be out for days if you try it again, especially since you're apparently new to it."

She had been surprised that he was able to heal her in the first place. She had been alert enough to hear Kabuto, a medical ninja, advise him against it. Orochimaru had to be highly skilled in order to perform on that level.

Ignoring her, Orochimaru reached over his should and grabbed her injured hand. Saya was pulled forward as he brought her hand around to look at it. She watched over his shoulder as he gently unhooked and unwound her bandage. Bruising was spreading on the top and bottom of her hand along the stitching on both sides.

"You're made of steel," he told her, "being able to stitch your own self up." He turned her hand so that her palm was facing him. "Especially so well in such a tense moment."

Saya shrugged. "I do it on others all the time, and I really didn't have much of a choice."

"No, you're strong Saya." His tongue brushed against her wrist before his lips followed. "Even earlier," he continued as his mouth gently ran up and down her lower arm, "while you were pinned to the floor with your blood running out of you, you were calmer than I was."

Even though she was pulled up against his back, Saya couldn't see his face. Therefore, his soft tone was taken sincerely. What she couldn't see was his narrowed eyes and almost scowling expression. Even as he continued to caress her wrist with his mouth, Orochimaru stared ahead at the wall and let his mind tick.

"You're very strong willed," he added when his lips stopped.

Saya then felt an odd sensation spreading across her neck. It felt as though both fire and ice were licking her skin. She felt Orochimaru sigh against her arm as he kept it against his mouth. Dizziness took over her and Saya put her other hand to her head. Her eyelids began to droop when he started licking her wrist again, causing her eyes to eventually close and head slump against his shoulder.

He's doing this, she thought.

Trying to push the feelings aside, Saya willed herself to open her eyes. They ended up wandering over Orochimaru's muscular back and shoulder. She closed her eyes again as if to hide herself when she moved her head to let her lips meet his shoulder. Orochimaru skipped a breath when her hand dropped from her head to roam over his back.

Saya tried to stop herself, but she couldn't. Part of her both wouldn't let her and didn't want her to stop. Her eyes tightened as she found herself moving his hair aside so her lips could travel up to his neck. To her surprise, Orochimaru arched his back with a gasp. He just as quickly relaxed and titled his head back with a smile. He let go of Saya's hand, chuckling as it snaked under his arm and rested on his chest.

"You have no idea how long it's been since I've felt this," he whispered. Orochimaru's smiled dropped and raised an eyebrow as Saya suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look at her.

"I shouldn't be doing this," she told him shakily.

Orochimaru turned his body to face hers and gently lifted her head by her chin. "But do you want to?" he asked with heavy eyelids.

Yes, Saya instantly thought, but she stayed silent.

"Then stop this nonsense," Orochimaru purred at her as if he read her mind. He jerked her chin up to roughly kiss her. "Your teasing is getting tiresome," he breathed against her mouth.

A brief flash of anger shot through Saya at his comment. Orochimaru watched as the edges of her irises grew dark, the same as they did after he bit her. He smiled as he could sense her body tensing. "Did I hit a nerve?"

His smile quickly changed to a scowl as Saya grabbed him and pinned him to the bed. Her nails dug into his skin as she pushed against him with shocking strength. Her eyes were as harsh as Orochimaru's as she leaned into his face. "Shut. Up." she growled.

Orochimaru looked up into her eyes with both determination and humor. Saya's irises were almost completely black by now. He continued to stare at her as a grin formed on his face. Saya slowly cocked her head until her neck exploded with pain. She immediately cringed and cried out in pain. Now having an opening, Orochimaru pushed her to the side to pin her down instead.

"How many times must we do this?" He held Saya in place as the pain washed over her and her eyes returned to normal. He also had to pause to let his own pain in his torso calm. "My patience is wearing thin." His grin escalated into a smile as he watched her breathing heavily beneath him.

"Get off me," Saya ordered him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't know why she had jumped at him like that or why such an intense feeling of hate hit her. The fact that only a sheet kept the man's naked body from touching hers didn't help.

Orochimaru did raise himself up on his good arm, but he still loomed over her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Saya, but I'll only get up on one condition." When Saya raised an eyebrow, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Stop fighting me. Stop fighting yourself. We both know you want to, so just do it. I'll keep getting under your skin until you do." Orochimaru made his point by letting his tongue trail down her neck.

Saya shook her head in frustration. She had lost. There was no way she could go back now, especially after what she had just done. There were no threatening comments that drove her to it. "I just don't know what I want out of this," she admitted as she closed her eyes. To make her answer clear enough for him, Saya put her hand on top of his.

After looking away from her for a moment, Orochimaru leaned down long enough to gently kiss her before sitting up. "If you wish to stay longer that you're needed, you're welcome to. If not, then you're free to leave when Kabuto and I are well again."

Her wet eyes opened slowly and looked at the ceiling. It was an open situation that could go either way. It was the perfect option, and she was surprised he was offering it to her. Saya sat up and looked him over before settling on his eyes. They weren't harsh or lit with humor. In fact, they were almost soft. Still, Saya took him lightly.

"Fine," she barely said.

"Good. Now then," Orochimaru started as he draped her arms over his shoulders, "where were we?"

**AN: It took me for what felt like forever to get through this chapter. Bleh. Anyway, there probably won't be too many more chapters. But then I'll be working on the sequel. *is excited* I've had some questions on another site about Orochimaru's motive behind his behavior. I can't give it away. It ruins the rest of this story and the next part. All I can say is to keep reading and find out. **

**Don't forget to review. :)  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I hate this man, Saya thought.

After draping her arms over his shoulders, Orochimaru held Saya at the waist and looked at her with the strangest expression. Strange as it was, she also knew what it was: victory. He knew she was becoming attracted to him, and her giving in to his advances made it all the more clear. As he watched her with heavy eyelids, Orochimaru knew he had her in the palm of his hand. Granted, she did claw at it from time to time, but he was just as quickly able to set her straight by curling her within his fist.

Saya still didn't know what she wanted. It was part of what was driving her frustration. Part of her wanted to go against her normal self and be daring; to have fun before heading back into town to continue her daily life. It wasn't as if anyone else would know about it. But she was also afraid of doing just that. What is she later regretted it, or worse, ended up wanting more? There was no way she could see herself in an actual relationship was this man. He was too infuriating.

Her mind had to be made up soon. Joking aside, Saya could tell he was growing impatient. His brief gentleness gnawed at her, though.

"You were going to rest," she reminded him. "And so was I. I didn't sleep well." Saya allowed spite to enter into her voice.

"Then lie down," Orochimaru told her with a smirk.

Saya shot a glare at him. "I'll go to my own bed, thanks."

A false pout spread across his face. "Now Saya, we were making progress." His grip on her waist tightened. "I can't let you go just yet."

Saya felt her stomach tighten and let her head fall forward. Her forehead met with his when she looked up into his golden eyes. "Look, Orochimaru," she started, drawing his name out, "I'll play along with your little game." One of her hands reached up to comb through his long hair as she angled her head to whisper against his lips. "But just as you have your rules, I have mine."

Orochimaru leaned his mouth in to meet hers, but stopped as Saya flicked his lips with her tongue. His breath caught in his throat, and Saya noticed. His hands slipped from her waist as she stood. "I'll be back later," she told him as she left the room. Orochimaru just sat there and watched her leave.

Biting her tongue as she walked up the hall, Saya silently passed Kabuto's room and entered her own. She sighed with happiness as she let herself fall onto her bed. She didn't change before she crawled under the covers and got comfortable, which wasn't difficult on account of her tried body.

When she was still, she finally let out the giggle she had been holding. Was that all it took to stun him? Either he was as lonely as he acted or didn't realize the impact of his own actions. After all, he was the one who started the licking game.

It took Saya no time to fall asleep. While it appeared to Orochimaru that she had slept through the night, he was wrong. She woke time after time after dreams and hallucinations wracked her mind. She willed herself to wake up during each dream, but couldn't bear to stay awake for the pain in her neck. That and the fact that each dream contained the same snake that bit her as the one whose floor she slept on.

This time, however, Saya slept peacefully. She did dream and she dreamed about her golden eyed snake again, but it wasn't the same. She didn't try to make herself wake up.

There was someone up the hall that did not sleep peacefully, however. Kabuto thrashed back and forth in his sleep while dreaming fever induced images. A damp sweat coated his entire body, making his clothes and hair stick uncomfortably to his skin.

He fisted the sheets and curled his feet at a particularly alarming vision of being held down at the shoulders by Orochimaru as Saya loomed over him with kunai knives as fingers, with which she preceded to slash at his bare abdomen in a way that gave him cuts that made his real ones look like paper cuts. He cringed in his sleep with each slash, but he was paralyzed to the spot.

When Orochimaru could be heard laughing, he sat up in bed with a start. Kabuto leaned his throbbing head over so far it almost touched the bed. As he began to catch his breath, he smoothed his wet hair away from his face and reached for his glasses. Once they were on, a pale figure could be seen sitting in a chair in his peripheral vision.

"My, Kabuto," Orochimaru said softly, making Kabuto jump, "don't you look terrible. You should have listened to the nice nurse."

His hands instantly curled into fists at his side. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru," he strained, "I know that now." He turned his head slightly to look at him. "Shouldn't you be resting as well? You did pass out after-"

"Do not remind me of what I had to do because of your outburst," Orochimaru cut him off. He slowly rose from the chair, which only proved Kabuto's point, and walked over to the bed. He stared down at his sick right-hand man a moment before raising a hand to strike him against the face. "Don't you ever disobey an order from me again. I'm sure you don't need me to explain what I could do to you otherwise."

Kabuto looked at the floor as his face started to sting. He wasn't sure how to respond in a way that wouldn't cause him to whiteness that threat, so he simply kept his head down and nodded slightly.

"Good," Orochimaru stated as he continued to glare down at the other man. He turned to leave with a clench of his jaw.

"Why?" Kabuto rasped when he reached the door.

Orochimaru stopped. "What?" he snapped.

"Why are you treating her the way you are? What are you up to?"

Orochimaru could only chuckle quietly. Kabuto always had to be on top of his plans. This was one plan he was going to keep to himself, though. That being said, he left the room without a word a moment later.

**AN: Bleh, I don't like this chapter. I'm having a bit of a writer's block funk. I already know how this is going to end and how the second part will start. I just need to fill in the gap to get to it. The last few chapters are going to be _really _exciting, though. Stay tuned! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Saya stretched with a yawn as she woke from one of the best naps she had had in some time. She instinctively opened her eyes to determine the time by looking at the position of the sunlight filtering through the window. The problem was that she then remembered there were no windows.

Orochimaru may not genetically be a snake, but he sure lived enough like one.

Groaning, Saya repositioned herself and closed her eyes. It wouldn't hurt for her to snooze a little longer. Orochimaru needed to rest and she was only a distraction for him. This was turning out to be the most complicated job she could have ever imagined. Who would have thought she would be treating shinobi, much less shinobi such as a highly skilled medical ninja and a lord, at that.

Questions started to develop in Saya's head. Just what exactly was Orochimaru lord of? It had to be more than this hole in the ground. Then again, it could very well only be a title he placed upon himself. He was very demanding and his followers, though some not totally devoted to him like Akira, did respect him and follow his orders.

Then there was herself. What did he want with her? Surely if all he was after was a woman to entertain him for a night he would have chosen someone more willing. It didn't make sense for him to keep chasing her. Maybe that was the fun in his game, though. Both he and Saya knew he was starting to get the best of her. It was only a matter of him before he won his game.

Saya rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. It was too dark to pinpoint it, so she felt like she was starting into the deepest pit of space. Her eyes began to glass over as they went out of focus, her mind too busy thinking about what she had gotten herself into to remind her to blink.

One question that kept coming back to her was, why not? Why not just give in? It was her right to keep telling him no, but at the same time it wasn't a death sentence if she decided to say yes. If only she hadn't put up such a fight before. Orochimaru would only see that he had finally broken her and would only boost his dominating personality that much more.

And if she did she stop saying no, it wouldn't be as if it was her first time.

There was once a man that she loved very much that looked at her in the same manner as Orochimaru did. To that day Saya still wasn't sure if he loved her back, even though he said he did. He was very sweet to her but often reminded her that she knew exactly how to make his desire for her skyrocket. She eventually gave in to his pretty face and alluring words, even though she was now left with nothing to show for it.

Saya didn't regret it. In fact, she liked to think that going from total bliss to utterly alone made her stronger. A crooked smile spread across her face as she thought about her snake-tongued patient. Well, maybe she wasn't as strong as she thought. She slowly opened her eyes as she finally made up her mind.

She would prove, if only to herself, that she could keep her emotions in check. It wasn't a physical relationship she was more afraid of; it was an emotional one. She was alone, but she welcomed it. That didn't keep her from noticing her physical wants now that she had tapped back into them.

I'll see how tonight goes, she thought, if we get along reasonably enough, we'll see what happens. He doesn't care for me, nor do I care for him. No one gets hurt.

Saya eventually willed herself to sit up and get out of bed. After straightening out her hair and clothes, she left to go back to Orochimaru's room. Just to check on him; it was her job after all. She cracked his door open enough to peek inside and find that he was not in bed. As she widened the door just a bit more, she could see that there was light coming from the bathroom. Saya could also swear she smelt a flowery scent.

She walked up to the open bathroom door with uncertainty. "Can I come in?"

Orochimaru replied with a simple "yes". He was lying in the tub with his eyes closed. Faint popping noises could be heard as the bubbles from the shampoo began to break down in the water.

"You didn't come get me."

"I'm not mortally wounded," he reminded her. "Besides, you were sleeping."

She wanted to remind him that it was his own fault.

Saya looked down at him as a silence fell between them. He had to be feeling pretty rough to be so easy on her. Something he hadn't done since she had arrived. He hadn't exactly been resting as much as he needed to anyway, so it was bound to be catching up to him.

"What?" he asked as he opened his eyes and found her staring down at him.

She shook with a start as she too realized this. "Nothing," she told him as she stood and looked away. "Just let me know if you need anything. I'll be around."

Saya left the bathroom without a backward glance but stopped as the strange tingling in her neck and lightheadedness returned. Not wanting to "be around" somewhere else, she sat down on the end of the bed. To distract herself until the man left his bath, Saya fiddled with everything her hands could find and began shaking as she finally heard water splashing.

Orochimaru put little effort into drying himself off. Water dripped from both his hair and body into the black towel wrapped around his hips. His wound peeked just over the edge, showing that the bruising had grown even more. That's not what caught her eye, though.

The tingling in her neck spread down and across her right shoulder as she, almost involuntarily, looked Orochimaru up and down. His breathing was racked with pain and exhaustion, which caused his muscles to tighten with each breath.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

Saya started to answer but fell short. Her hand moved to rub her neck as the prickling turned into an ache. It then felt like a fire was ignited under her skin as Orochimaru stepped closer to her. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

"Saya," he said as he applied pressure to her chin. She eventually stood up as the pressure increased. "I asked you what you were doing."

She watched as the light from the bedside candles danced across his eyes. It made them look feral. Her eyes tore from his as she raised her hands and gently put them against his chest. Orochimaru flinched, but whether from pain or something else, Saya couldn't tell.

Her hands went from gently resting against his chest to gripping his hair as his tongue extended and licked the side of her face. Saya swallowed loudly as her pulse sped up. There was no telling what else that damn tongue could do.

"I just-" Saya stopped as his arm moved between their bodies. Her eyes widened and grip became intense when the towel around Orochimaru's hips fell to the floor. She made extra sure to keep her eyes straight ahead.

Orochimaru just laughed at her.

**AN: Let the nosebleeds...commence! **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: College has been kicking my butt for the past week. I have very little imaginative mojo right now. :( I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Be honest in reviews, because I feel like it's flatter than a pancake. **

**Chapter 15**

Orochimaru grabbed at his ribcage as his laughter came to a stop. He looked down at the woman in front of him with a genuine smile on his face. The edges of her eyes were hard, made so by her attempt to keep them from dropping even the slightest bit. His hand moved from his abdomen as he held Saya's chin and lifted it.

"Something wrong?" he asked as her wild eyes met his. Her face almost made him lapse into another fit of laughter.

Saya willed herself to calm down, even though her blood was pounding in her ears. She couldn't continue to let Orochimaru think he had her tied around his finger. Her eyes softened as a grin of her own formed. "No. In fact, you're one step ahead of me. I need to make sure your stitching is still tight enough."

"Then look," he dared her without a flinch.

With her face paling ever so slightly, the blush spreading across Saya's face became quite prominent. That was something she couldn't hide or control. Her eyes dropped to his hip in a way that made it visible only to her peripheral vision before returning to his chest. "It's fine."

"Good," the man mumbled as he forcefully pushed Saya to the side and onto the bed.

Saya gasped as she reflexively tried to break the fall with her injured hand. It instantly gave away and she couldn't help but let herself lie there for a second as she cradled with it her other hand. When she rolled over she found Orochimaru standing calmly over her. Their eyes found each other and locked.

Orochimaru's eyes were surprisingly soft, probably more so than Saya had yet to see. The prickling in her neck began to pulse along with her thoughts, almost as if it was edging her on. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Well?"

"Well what?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

Sighing, Saya sat up and reached for the man's wrist. Orochimaru leaned forward as she pulled at his arm. "What do you want?" he asked her as his body weight settled onto hers. When Saya leaned up and toward his face, Orochimaru held her back. "Tell me," he said with a smirk.

Lying back down on the bed, Saya closed her eyes. "Just kiss me," she told him with impatience.

She braced herself when the man's wet hair hit her skin as he lowered his face. A shiver ran through her and stilled the ache in her neck as his warm breath hit her face. Orochimaru let a low chuckle escape his lips before they parted to meet hers. Saya found herself sighing when she opened her mouth to let his tongue enter. She ran her hands through his hair and prodded his tongue with her own; wanting to see exactly what he could do with it.

While Orochimaru did use his tongue to explore every inch of her mouth, he moved slowly and precisely. When he pulled away, his eyes were half closed and glassy. "Was that right, or did you prefer somewhere else?"

Saya almost turned into a puddle. "No, this is fine for now."

"Shame," he told her as his lips glided down her neck. He stopped when he reached the edge of her clothing, dipping his tongue just under the fabric and letting it dance across the covered skin. "That's not the answer I'm looking for."

Saya tried her best to stay calm. "Sorry," she muttered with an edge of humor.

Orochimaru laughed softly. "Yes, you should be. For yourself, anyway."

Closing her eyes, Saya sighed and smiled at the same time. "Fine, show me. But only if you're nice."

The man raised his head so he could look down into her eyes. He moved a lock of hair from her face and flashed a quick grin. His hand traveled through her hair and to the back of her neck before his tongue lowered to push through her lips. His own lips slowly followed.

As his intensity increased, Orochimaru released her neck and raised his body to let his hand slowly move down to Saya's waist where her kimono was tied. He undid the knot in one quick movement. Cool air hit her skin when Orochimaru pushed the fabric aside to expose a small strip of her body. Her breath almost caught in her throat when his growing excitement brushed against her.

Almost teasingly, Orochimaru let a single finger run up and down her before letting his hand dip under the fabric and grab her waist. Saya reached up to pull him into another kiss as his hand began to move lower. Her nerves went haywire as his fingers slipped past her abdomen and gently brushed between her legs.

As one of his long fingers slid down and inside of her, Saya's neck radiated a sharp sting followed by a dulling warmness. She broke her face away from his and turned it to the side. Orochimaru started to scowl at her, but he then got a good feel of her own excitement. He instead held back a self-satisfied laugh and inserted another finger.

Saya closed her eyes, hoping to lay there and let Orochimaru continue. However, he wanted her full attention. "Don't turn your head away from me," he rasped into her ear.

Biting her lip, Saya turned and looked back up at him. His face was calm, almost soft, as he looked down at her and let his fingers tease her. "Now, is this so terrible?" he asked her. To emphasize his question, Orochimaru began to move his fingers in and out of her.

"No," she whispered in response. While she did feel awkward and a bit tense, Saya couldn't say she was completely uncomfortable. The moment almost felt therapeutic as the warmness spreading from her neck ran down to meet the warmness coming from her abdomen. Not caring what he would say, Saya pulled him closer so her head could rest against his shoulder.

Orochimaru continued his pace until Saya's breathing became uneven. Her fingers dug into his skin as he became more forceful, causing her hips to shift with each movement. With a chuckle, he suddenly stopped and pulled out of her.

Saya opened her eyes and began to protest, bur stopped when she found the man looking softly down at her again. A ragged breath caught in her throat when he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"You'll get the rest tonight, Saya," he whispered against her skin. "I need more time to rest, but I will be _very _upset if you leave me waiting for too long."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Orochimaru silently cursed himself after the young nurse left in a daze. He had the perfect opportunity, made more agonizing by the fact that Saya seemed reluctant to leave. But what could he do? He certainly couldn't use that opportunity while he was still weak. That didn't keep his lower body from fighting a particularly annoying ache.

A smirk then spread across his face as he lay there in bed. That small taste was all he needed to give her, though. He had proven to her that he could be satisfying, yet patient enough to leave her only a tad uncomfortable. And if anything, curious.

She'll be back, Orochimaru thought, if not from that curiosity, then among other reasons.

Saya meanwhile sat in the kitchen, finally feeding her neglected stomach. Her hands shook with each spoonful she brought to her mouth, almost sending her soup back into its bowl. She was startled that Orochimaru had let her go just like that. Not that it was a complaint, but it did bother her.

She wasn't ready to go further; she was way too tense while she laid there. Yet she wanted to. After several attempts of coming onto her both verbally and physically, Saya was also aggravated that Orochimaru would send her on her way as soon as she gave in. She had struggled hard with herself about the matter, and when she finally wanted him to touch her, he was the one who needed more time.

She sat at a table and nibbled on a cracker as her thoughts wandered further. Needless to say she was unaware of company until they sat down opposite her.

"I was wondering where you got to," Akira told her in a light tone. He smiled when Saya put the cracker down with a grin of her own.

She rubbed at her neck, holding back her surprise as she felt a tautness that had manifested. "Been busy. Too busy."

The rubbing made Akira's eyes dart to her neck. He raised his eyebrow when he noticed a healing bruise. Reaching across the table to still her arm, Akira asked, "What happened?" His fingers delicately curled around her lower arm.

"Oh," she started as her grin dropped, "just an accident." She looked back at the man hoping he would believe her. He wasn't so easily swayed. No doubt he had seen what violent activity his lord was capable of.

"Don't lie for him, Saya." His hand moved from her arm to her chin as he moved it aside to get a better look at her neck. He noticed a small cut as more light hit her skin. "What did he do?" He dropped his hand as Saya lowered her head.

"They, actually."

Saya replayed the events of the past few days to Akira. Orochimaru's bite, the problems she was having because of it, Kabuto's attempted murder, and Orochimaru's healing. She did mention that the bite was because she wouldn't return the man's advances, but she made sure to leave out how she was now making her own.

Akira's eyes widened and mouth gaped the more she told him. He swallowed hard before he spoke. "I…I don't even know what to say, Saya. Are you ok?"

She rubbed at her neck again. "It feels weird a lot. It stings, aches, burns…I felt like I was dying afterward. Now it's been reduced to an annoyance."

Akira cocked his head, clearly showing he didn't follow. That didn't stop him from uttering a hollow "Right". He rubbed the back of his own neck. "If you don't mind, can I look at your shoulder?"

Saya shrugged and sat still as the man rose from his seat and came to stand behind her. He carefully pulled the sleeve of her kimono down, revealing her right shoulder and upper shoulder blade. Saya turned as she heard a small gasp.

"What?" she asked as Akira replaced her sleeve.

He laid a finger just below her shoulder. "There's a mark here. It looks like an X." His finger dropped as he moved to return to his seat. "Saya, that bite was a curse he put on you."

Her face leaned forward as if she didn't hear him. "A what?"

"A curse, Saya. That's what he did when he bit you and that's why you've reacted to it in this way. I've seen it before."

Saya closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn't quite believe him, even though she knew Orochimaru did more than bite her. "Why would he do that?" she simply asked.

Akira briefly looked away from her. "To you specifically, I have no idea. No offence, but you're not exactly important to him. Because you're not a shinobi, I mean." He looked at her in an almost consoling way. "I know a few that he's cursed. They're considered his best fighters, but he had to curse them in order for that to happen. The curse gives them certain abilities.

And-" he added with a sigh, "there's a reason why there are only a few. The survival rate is very low. From the moment the curse is administered, those who aren't strong enough to withstand it are in agony until they die. Those who live are in agony until they either give in and let the curse consume them or will themselves to fight off the initial trauma. Saya, the fact that you're alive is a miracle, and there is no word to describe the fact that you are doing so well."

Saya sat still as a board and pale as a ghost. Her stomach cramped with a tight knot and her hands began to shake. "Are you being serious with me?" she whispered.

Akira grimly nodded.

She shook her head as she straightened in her chair. "That can't be right. Why would he do that knowing I could have died? And then why would he turn around and save me if he didn't care about what happened to me?" Her voice was horse and was starting to shake. The man in front of her sighed.

"I warned you about him, Saya. But listen, if he went through the trouble of healing you at his own expense, then he obviously didn't intend for you to die in the first place." He then shrugged. "He isn't restricted to just one curse. Maybe it's possible that the one he gave you wasn't very powerful."

"Sure" Saya wasn't listening carefully anymore. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking all over. That didn't keep her heart from pounding or her breath from quickening. "What about when he healed me? It was in the same spot, so could that have helped?"

Akira raised hopeful eyebrows. "I suppose it's possible, especially since they weren't spread very far apart." His face lowered again when he saw that Saya wasn't listening. He got up to put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, at least you're ok," he told her softly. "That's what matters. Just keep fighting this and you'll be away from him sooner than you think. Hell, run away if you want, Saya. I won't say anything."

She looked up at him then with an enlightened expression. "You'd do that?"

"Of course," he told her with a grin. "Didn't I tell you I didn't want then cute nurse getting hurt? Just say the word and I'll sneak you back into town."

Saya continued to look up at him as she thought about her options. She didn't know Akira well enough to trust him, but he had a very honest personality. She was also on the fence about the curse predicament. Did Orochimaru plan on keeping her around or was he just that unstable? Saya bit her lip at the thought. He had saved her, looking just as panicked as she was while he did so. He was also growing more and more gentle with her.

"What happens to this when I leave?" she asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not certain about that either," Akira admitted. He blinked slowly behind his black bangs. "It may never get better or it may never bother you again. I can tell you that Orochimaru has slight control over it. If he's near you or you're away from him too long, it will start to bother you. I've also heard that just thinking about him can do the same. That's why the survivors end up following him. He's able to teach them how to live and cope with it."

Saya dropped her hand. "So in other words," she whispered, "it's a leash."

Akira nodded with a slow blink.

It made sense now. Orochimaru said he was lonely. What easier way to solve that then with a slave. Saya's toes curled. Was that was she was? Was that what he had been keeping from her? Her fingers followed as they curled and dug into her skin.

"Tonight, then. I want to leave tonight. I just have to take of something first."

**AN: For anyone that cares enough, her mark isn't really an X. It's two intersecting V's. I'll explain it's meaning later, possibly in Part 2. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Blood rushed to the surface of Saya's skin as she roughly ran her fingers over her lower right shoulder. She sat with her back turned to the mirror in her bathroom with her kimono hanging loosely around her body. Even though her only light was a single candle, the black mark clearly stood out against her skin.

As her fingers finished rubbing against it, Saya angrily dug her nails into the spot before she turned her head away. Not only had Orochimaru put an invisible leash on her, he had also branded her. She was now his property and no better than an animal. Or at least, that was his plan.

It was now obvious that Orochimaru had a plan in store for her. His offer to her of staying or leaving now made sense to her. Whether she left or not, he expected her to come back to him.

Saya unwillingly admitted to herself that she knew she didn't have the willpower to stay away once she left. If the feelings inside her increased and continued after she was gone, she knew she would come back to him. Whether to beg him to make it go away or for another reason, that Saya decided to not dwell on.

There was a way to put it to an end before it started, though. And that was Saya's own plan.

Saya stared at the black X a moment more. There was a small opening where the two lines intersected. She wondered what the meaning of it was, if it had any. Sighing, she readjusted herself and went back to the bedroom. Her few belongings she had brought with her were already gathered and waiting on top of the bed.

The only thing keeping her from meeting up with Akira and heading back into town was her golden-eyed patient down the hall. She had to see him one last time before she could leave. Saya ran her plan over in her head for the umpteenth time. It wasn't a plan that she was happy with, but it was the only thing she could think of in order to free herself.

As she calmed her nerves and gathered her wits, Saya left her room and walked slowly to the end of the hall.

She didn't knock on the door before she pushed it aside and entered the man's room. She didn't need to anymore, made clear by the look on his face as he turned and smirked at her. His eyes were tired and Saya guessed he must have just woken recently.

Orochimaru watched as Saya walked over and sat close to him on the bed. "You're early," he told her as she continued to sit there.

When Saya looked up at his face, she found that his smirk had been replaced with a warm smile. She almost blanched at the transformation of his face. Almost. She mentally shook herself as she ignored his smile.

Without hesitation or a reply, Saya cupped the man's face in her hands before roughly crashing her lips onto his. Orochimaru instantly opened his mouth as his smile lingered on his lips. He put his hand behind her head and pressed her that much closer to him.

As Orochimaru's tongue slipped past her lips, Saya's neck began to tingle with anticipation that quickly spread throughout the rest of her body. She willed herself to ignore it as Orochimaru slowly explored her mouth with his tongue. The more she tried to ignore it, though, the more her body fought against her. For the first time, Saya could feel the mark on her body. It pulsed in time with their kisses with a calming rhythm.

Saya could almost feel as if it was speaking to her, tempting her to give up. It was if it knew what she was up to.

No, I have to do this, Saya thought, wondering if her thoughts would chase the voice away.

Orochimaru broke away from her lips with an audible intake of breath. His eyes drilled into hers as he moved his hand to let one of his fingers trace her bottom lip. He smirked when Saya allowed him to push his finger into her mouth. "What a good girl you're being."

Saya held Orochimaru's wrist as she licked circles around his finger. The opening she had been waiting for came when he closed his eyes. With her other hand, Saya reached inside of her clothes and groped for the cold metal that was pressing into her skin.

As she began to extract the object, she kept her eyes on her patient's face. She almost wanted to stop what she was doing, to forget her plan and let herself drown in the man's attention. Instead, she stayed focused. Saya increased her grip on his good arm while she calming lifted one of her scalpels to his throat.

Orochimaru opened his eyes slowly when he felt the cold metal against his skin. His finger dropped from Saya's mouth when he saw the hard set of her face. His eyes momentarily hardened before a laugh escaped from his lips, making the blade rub against his skin.

"Do you really want to hurt me, Saya?"

She scowled at him that much more. "I know what you did to me. It's the only way to stop it." She pressed the blade tighter to his neck.

"And just how did you find out? Akira, I'm guessing. He's been straying from me lately."

"No, I figured it out myself," she lied, feeling the need to cover for her new friend. "Ever since you bit me I haven't been right."

Orochimaru stared calmly at her. He couldn't tell whether she was lying or not, but he could see that she carried an empty threat. She had no real desire to kill him. If so, her eyes would be black as they had been during her previous rages. But they were the same steely grey and far from murderous.

"Saya," he purred, "I had expected better of you. I do enjoy it when you misbehave, but this time you've-"

Orochimaru hissed and turned his head as Saya's blade quickly slashed at his face, grazing him along his cheekbone. He wrenched his hand away from her grip and rubbed the back of it along his face. His pupils dilated when he saw his paper-white skin was stained red.

For a moment the man seemed shocked. Saya watched him, petrified as he kept staring at his hand. Another moment passed before he chuckled. "Oh, Saya," he whispered.

With lightning speed Orochimaru swung his left arm, where it connected with the side of Saya's head. The cast felt as hard as a rock when it hit and knocked her into the floor.

"You should know better," he finished.

Saya began to stand up with one hand to her head, but stopped when Orochimaru leaned over and grabbed a handful of her hair. She winced as he adjusted his grip and pulled at her scalp when he moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

That wince turned into a silent whimper as he pulled and forced her to look up at him. To her relief, his bottom half was clothed in black pants. His eyes were a mix of amusement and anger. "This is not the way to get my attention," he told her with another jerk of his hand.

"Like I would be so desperate for your attention," she scoffed back.

"It's funny then that you wouldn't wait until everyone was asleep if you truly wanted to kill me, which you don't. You may have some fight in you, but you don't have what it takes to go through with it."

Saya slumped as far as his grip would allow. "Tell me why you did this."

"Because I can," he simply replied. "Now, what am I supposed to do with you?" Orochimaru looked down at her. "You couldn't kill me even if you did try, but I'm certainly not going to let you go unpunished for trying."

"I barely hurt you," Saya breathed.

"But you still did," Orochimaru told her harshly as he pulled her hair again. "I am not a forgiving person."

Saya felt her body begin to shake in panic. She wanted to hide it as it began to creep into her eyes, but she couldn't help herself as she looked up at the man. His face showed no sign of mercy, which is why she was surprised when he grinned down at her and spoke in a soft voice.

"Although, I will be easy on you if you give me a convincing apology."

"Why should I?" Saya spat. "You'll be getting what you want either way."

"True," Orochimaru cocked his head in agreement, "but I know very well how to make it painful, and I will. I'm giving you a choice. All you have to do is ask for my forgiveness."

She didn't have to look at his face to know he was smiling. His tone was a mix of malice and humor. "No," she told him. "There is nothing for me to apologize for, and if you dare try to do anything to me I _will _kill you."

"With what?" she heard Orochimaru ask as she felt the cold metal of her scalpel press against her throat.

Damn it, she thought.

Saya closed her eyes and tried to let her head fall back against the side of the bed. She didn't have enough slack. The mark could be felt again, urging her to bend to his will. But Saya was also angry, and she could also feel it pumping throughout her body.

"I'm sorry," she cringed.

"What was that?"

"I said, I'm sorry," she cringed again, only louder.

Orochimaru removed the blade before standing to turn and face the nurse, smirking as he looked down at her with her hair still tangled in his hand. "That's not an apology," he told her, his tone once again soft.

A blush spread across Saya's face when the waistband of his pants caught her eye. She looked up at Orochimaru with her mouth slightly agape to find him smirking down at her. She shook her head instantly before he had a chance to speak.

"Apologize," he gently prodded.

Saya's hands began to shake as she shook her head again.

"Very well. You had your chance." Orochimaru tightened his grip on Saya's hair and pulled her closer to him. She put up her hands to stop him, but he smacked them away with his free hand.

"Stop." Saya turned her head so her face was against his lower abdomen and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Just stop," she unwillingly sobbed. Her blood could be heard pounding in her ears as her panic continued to increase. "Look, you're right. I don't really want to kill you. I just want this to stop. I don't understand why you've done this to me, why you want me to follow you."

She looked up at him with pleading wet eyes, hoping he could drop his cold-heartedness once again. She let out a silent sigh as Orochimaru finally let go of her hair. He even gently brushed his hand down her face.

"That's a good way to start," he sneered. Not giving her a chance to reply, Orochimaru reached just below her head to lower the waistband of his pants. He almost laughed as his growing manhood was released and hit against her neck.

Saya bit back a gasp but she was not able to stop her shaking. "I-I thought you said-"

"I said I would be easy on you," he cut her off. "I never said anything about letting you go. Don't get smart."

Saya closed her eyes as she turned towards him. "Go to hell," she growled. Clenching her jaw, Saya opened her eyes and tilted her head to look down at him. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him. Her neck also began to radiate heat and caused her eyes to lock onto the impressive member.

She surprised herself when her hand shot up to glide against it. Orochimaru could be felt relaxing as she let her hand explore the silky skin. Her fingers barely touched him, but it was enough to make him uncomfortably anxious.

"I can do that myself," he rasped and smacked her hand away.

Saya flinched at his movement, but moved slowly as she lowered both her hand and her face. She swallowed loudly before she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Her mouth opened just enough for Orochimaru to slip inside, but her tongue instantly began to rub against him as he slid further in.

"That's better," he whispered as he placed his hands on her shoulders for balance.

She could feel her body responding to her actions, and that made Saya just as anxious as he was. She teasingly bit down on the man before slowly moving her head back and forth, her tongue matching in speed as it slid around each side.

Orochimaru looked down to watch himself disappear each time Saya came closer to him. Both the sight and the feel were almost too much. He tightened his grip on her shoulders in an attempt to calm himself, but her warm mouth and slow movement made him that much more anxious.

Saya shrunk back when the man began to move his hips, pushing himself further into her mouth. He hit the back of her throat and she reflexively gagged. Orochimaru only chuckled and increased his speed. Saya tightened her mouth in an attempt to slow him down, but that just made him all the more forceful.

Her fingers dung into Orochimaru's legs as he kept the same speed and rhythm. He could have easily knocked her backward otherwise. That being said, the growing tightening of his nurse's mouth and his own thrusting was quickly bringing the man to his climax.

Orochimaru scowled at just how quickly it had snuck up on him. He moved his hands to Saya's head and held her in place as his hips slammed into her mouth. Saya muffled a protest, but it was easily ignored as he felt his body preparing for his release.

As his orgasm came and flooded her mouth, Orochimaru released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His body began to relax as he rode the sensation out, shakily laughing as Saya clawed at him. With one final trust, he gently pushed her away from him.

He watched Saya with an amused expression as she struggled with the substance in her mouth. She eventually swallowed with a scowl on her face. When she was done, Saya looked up at Orochimaru.

She didn't know what to say, or even do for that matter. She did however manage to raise an eyebrow when he held his hand out for her. Saya carefully grabbed it and let Orochimaru pull her to her feet. Their eyes locked when she stood, and Saya knew the man could see right through her.

Her neck and shoulders were on fire, as well as her lower body. Curse mark or no, she knew the man in front of her had her wrapped around his finger. She closed her eyes when he lifted his hand to gently brush it against her face.

"Get into bed."


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Well, here is what you've all been waiting for. That being said, there is only one or two chapters left. I was planning on writing a sequel that would answer all the questions that came up concerning this story, but now I'm not so sure. I want to post the first chapter of it alongside the last chapter of this. I don't know. Let me know what you guys think. I would hate to concentrate on a story that no one is going to pay attention to when I have other ideas I want to work on. **

**Chapter 18**

Saya melted into the man's chest as Orochimaru put his arms around her. She sighed as his fingers delicately traced over her back. His words left her mind frozen, though.

"Saya," he mumbled against her forehead as he continued to tempt her, "get into bed."

Her nails dug into his skin as she cringed. She wanted to. Deep inside she really wanted nothing more than to fall back onto the bed with the man on top of her; to let her hands get tangled up in his hair and feel his warm breath somewhere else that her forehead.

But she couldn't help but wondering if those feelings were hers alone; that maybe the curse was producing them instead.

"Give me a minute," she managed to whisper.

Orochimaru brushed the side of her face and placed a lock of hair behind her ear. "No, now. I've played nice long enough." With that he grabbed Saya by the arms and pushed her backward. He watched once again as she landed with a wince on her injured hand.

"You'll forget about that soon enough," he told her as he pulled his pants down the rest of the way before joining her. He was careful about getting into bed.

"What about you?" Saya asked shakily.

Orochimaru quickly rolled over and loomed over her. "I'll be fine," he replied with the most sadistic smile Saya had ever seen. He slowly dropped it as he felt his companion stiffen under him. "And so will you if you behave."

Saya began to protest, but her mouth was instantly claimed. Orochimaru sighed against her as he reached down to untie her clothing. He wasn't swift and graceful about it as he had earlier been, but rather rough and impatient. As he moved his lips down to her neck, she found herself sitting up to let the material fall off her shoulders.

Once it was off, Orochimaru held her to him and smiled against her neck at the feel of her skin against his. Saya shrugged her shoulder to make him move, and received a questioning look when he did. With their faces only inches apart, the only thing Saya could see was the snake lord's hungry face. With each breath they took, she could feel the taught lines of his stomach press against her own. She blinked slowly and looked up at him with clouded eyes.

She could also feel that her neck and shoulder were on fire. An image of the black mark shining like fire lay in the back of her mind as it slowly pulsed. While it did respond to her thoughts and actions of the man, Saya knew she would be lying to herself if she thought that was the only thing fueling her desire.

She refused to tell him, but that didn't stop her from reaching up to pull Orochimaru into another kiss. It was the most intense they had shared, even ferocious in nature. She whimpered as he nipped and pulled at whatever his teeth could catch.

While he chuckled in the back of his throat, Orochimaru let his hand lightly trail down her body to where he had earlier left off. He fluidly slipped one of his long fingers inside of her. Another smile formed on his face when he felt her warm wetness. He stopped his nipping, but concentrated on caressing her mouth with his tongue while his finger teased her.

"I need you, Saya," he whispered as his lips left hers.

He gasped as she reached down and tightly wrapped her hand around him. Saya was squeezing up and down his length before she realized it. His teasing had left her desperate for something to touch.

Saya released her grip to speed up her movement, catching each time she ran over his head. All the while Orochimaru breathed raggedly and bit back his sounds of pleasure. His senses momentarily left him before he plunged another finger into Saya and roughly thrust them in and out of her. Their lips briefly met again, but Saya kept pulling away with each push of his hand.

Eventually, Orochimaru slowed to a halt and pulled back from her. His brow furrowed for a moment as a wave of pain shot through his ribs as a result. He looked down at Saya with a smirk as he sat back on his heels. Her heavy breathing made his pupils dilate.

As Saya began to lift her head to see why he stopped, she threw it back with a gasp when something wet and warm forced its way deep into her. Her hands gripped the sheets as the tip began to flick against her cervix. When she managed to lift her head, Saya found Orochimaru slightly bent over with the longest tongue she had even seen running out of his mouth.

She watched with an expression of both horror and intrigue as she saw and felt as Orochimaru began to pull the tongue back. Just as the tip began to leave her, he gently pushed it back inside. Saya's toes curled as she watched him continue and bend further between her legs. It was the most disturbing thing she had ever seen, but it also set her body on fire as she watched him.

Orochimaru continued to lower himself and shorten his tongue until his lips met her body. Saya laid back and actually allowed herself to smile. After all the bickering she pushed her pride aside and let her body have what it wanted, and she was enjoying every second of it.

Orochimaru slowly pulled his tongue out of her and back into his mouth before he began to forcefully kiss her. Saya let her back arch, but not enough so that she couldn't reach down for his head. She let her fingers run through what hair she could reach as he serviced her.

For several minutes he continued, occasionally nipping at her as he did so. Saya's body tensed as the moment dragged on, so much so that her muscles were beginning to cramp.

"Stop," she barely managed to say.

Saya watched as the man did stop, but in doing so he looked up at her with the eyes of a rabid animal. The look made her skin prickle, so she laid back and closed her eyes. "I…don't want to wait anymore," she admitted.

"For what exactly?" Orochimaru playfully asked as moved his body back up to hers.

Her eyes snapped open to meet his. "I'm not playing that game. You know what I mean. What are you staring at?"

Orochimaru stared down at Saya in a quizzical way. What he was in fact staring at was her eyes; they had changed yet again. Her irises weren't solid black as they had been when she turned angry, but instead the color of her irises had expanded to make them solid silver orbs.

"Nothing," he replied with a smile.

He lowered his face closer to hers and licked unbearably slowly up her face. His eyes lazily found their way back to hers as he shifted his hips to position himself. He gripped her arms and pressed his lips to hers as he quickly slammed into her.

Saya instantly pulled away with a cry of both surprise and pain. With a hiss she dug her nails into Orochimaru's arms when he didn't give her time to adjust and instantly started thrusting into her. Even though her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer, Saya looked in the man's eye with disdain.

"Scowl all you want," he panted, "we both know you're enjoying this."

The comment was a slap in her face. It made her finally realize with full force the thoughts that had been running around in her head since she first arrived. She was attracted to this man. At the end of the day she enjoyed their banter and even though he had marked her as his, she knew she wanted him. The fact that he was on top of her giving her just that set every one of her nerves on fire and made her mind buzz with excitement.

She relaxed her grip on his arms and let her hands run over his back. "I know," she meekly replied, nestling her face into his neck. She groaned against it when his speed and forced doubled by the comment.

"I won't disappoint you, then."

Orochimaru held Saya that much closer to him as he continued to thrust into her. Their lips would meet from time to time as their mouths wandered over each other, but Saya tried to concentrate on his neck. It gave her an excuse to keep her glazed eyes and grinning mouth hidden from him. This continued for what seemed like hours.

All the while Saya felt her body pulse as a whole until she felt a familiar prickling sensation arise within it.

"Orochimaru," she whined. Her body arched and tightened in anticipation.

Smiling at the rare use of his name, Orochimaru looked down at her through his curtain of black hair. "Look at me," he ordered her.

Against her better judgment she complied, locking eyes with him only a moment before her oncoming orgasm closed them. She vaguely heard Orochimaru chuckle as a loud cry escaped her lips. Her body tightened around his almost painfully as she rode it out.

Just when she started to relax, Orochimaru bit her painfully on the neck.

"What are you doing!" she exclaimed in a tired voice. Panic rose within her as images of his last bite flashed through her mind. She struggled to get away from him, but he only held her tighter.

Orochimaru bit down harder and thrust more forcefully into Saya as his own orgasm came. It was muffled, but a very distinct growl could be heard coming from deep within his throat. He eased his teeth slowly away from her neck and licked it clean of the fresh blood it was seeping.

"Remember Saya," he panted roughly into her ear, "you're mine."

**AN: Saya's WTF face made the tongue scene so hard to write. I wanted to make it serious, but that face just kept coming up in my head and making me grin. I'm actually not too happy with how this chapter turned out. I've written better lemons it seems. Maybe it's just my mood. I hope it was enjoyable to at least someone, though. XD  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Orochimaru's back turned towards Saya once he was finished with her. It was then he closed his eyes and held his ribcage as the pain from his actions caught up with him. His breathing was audibly ragged.

Saya lay there and listened to him. She found herself wanting to press herself against his back and wrap her arms around him to let her own hand comfort his pain. Instead she kept still and watched his bare back until his breathing came to a slow pace.

She lay there staring until he unconsciously turned over and faced her. Saya now found herself staring in awe at his peaceful face. It was difficult. The beautiful face tempted her to hold and kiss it until the man woke. However, the pain in her neck from her new wound also reminded her of what kind of man he was and what he had put her through.

It was the reason she fought her own exhaustion to stay awake. It was to make sure the man was asleep, but as lovely as it was, it was not to watch him. Carefully and quietly, Saya slid out of bed. Orochimaru rolled onto his back as the weight of the bed shifted, but he remained asleep.

Saya slipped her kimono back on, all the while staring down at him. "You almost had me," she whispered as she rounded the bed to his side. Pushing aside the fear that he may wake, Saya leaned down to gently brush her lips against his. "I almost wish you did."

"Mmm…Saya..."

She froze and put a hand to her mouth as he mumbled her name. Orochimaru rolled back onto his side and continued his heavy breathing. Saya slowly unfroze and noticed that her hands were shaking.

Why am I hanging around if I'm so worried about being caught, she asked herself. It was then that she realized she wasn't shaking because she was afraid of him waking, but because some sick part of her was sad. And when a tear formed and ran down her face, she mentally shook herself.

The man had harassed her since day one and tried to make a slave out of her. There was no reason to be sad about leaving. But as she walked across the room and to the door, Saya felt that there was. She pushed the thoughts aside and quickly slipped out of the room.

Weak candlelight lit the hallways, barely breaking up the darkness. A chill ran up Saya's spine on account of the dead silence. As she walked up the hall and passed Kabuto's room, she blushed. There was only a slight chance that he had been awake or alert enough, but still…

Maybe it's good that I am leaving, she thought, he would eat me alive if he heard us. She almost laughed then.

Saya found comfort in her room when she reached it. A light came from a corner which illuminated a sleeping Akira slumped in a chair. There were a few bags at his feet.

"Hey," Saya whispered as she shook his shoulder, "wake up."

"What?" he asked with a start as he woke. Akira shook his bangs out of his eyes. "Oh, Saya. Ready to go?" He finished with a yawn.

Saya nodded simply before turning around to collect her single bag of belongings. She watched Akira gather his own bags with a raised eyebrow. "What's all that?"

"My things. I'm leaving, too." He shrugged. "I don't belong here. I've been under Lor-Orochimaru since I was a teenager. Seen and done some things I wish I hadn't. You made me think about that. So, I'm heading out."

Akira shared a warm smile with her, but his eyes told something different. Saya could sense that there was more to it, but she felt it would be too rude to ask. It was obvious that he also felt the same way she did, though. They both wanted to leave, but they were also holding back for whatever their reasons.

"Where are you going to go?"

"Find a place to stay when we get to town, get acquainted with any local shinobi, and then I'll see where that takes me."

Saya then returned his smile. "I'm glad to hear that. I can't see anyone having much of a life here."

Akira nodded once in agreement before a silence fell between them. "Well, let's get going," He opened the door and offered to let Saya lead.

She stepped back into the hall with a new feeling in the pit of her stomach. The smile was still on her face as she waited for Akira to come to her side. He put a supportive hand around her shoulder as they headed for the exit.

"You're going to start having trouble with your neck soon after we leave. It's something you'll have to get used to until you're able to push through the curse. You'll be fine, though. I can tell you're a strong willed person."

No, I'm not, Saya thought with a frown. Her mouth went dry as she heard Orochimaru's words echo in her head. She hadn't fought hard enough, but she had barely lost. Her leaving proved that.

Akira dropped his arm as they reached the main door and moved forward to open it. The moonlight hit both of their eyes, making them squint in the darkness.

"Listen," Akira stared as he placed a gentle hand on her forearm, "it won't be as dangerous out there as when you first got here. We'll still have to be quiet, though."

Saya rubbed at her neck. "R-right," she replied as she found her voice. She grinned at Akira to reassure him as he looked worriedly at her. "I'm fine." Dropping her hand, Saya walked through the door and began walking up the steps.

She knew she was rushing when she heard that her companion's footsteps were far behind hers. At that point Saya didn't care. Her eyes grew adjusted to the light as she neared the top, which fueled her with a sense of urgency.

She all but ran into the open when she reached level ground. Saya could almost taste the fresh air as it entered her lungs. She smiled again and turned to wait for Akira. Her neck began to sting as if annoyed when he caught up to her, but she easily ignored it.

But another feeling began to surface as Saya looked back into the dark entrance. A tiny part of her still wanted to stay. If not to stay, then to at least see Orochimaru one last time.

Right, "see", she told herself as she turned back around. "Akira? Let's get away from this hellhole."

**AN: Short chapter is short, I know. There is one more left and I'll also post the first chapter for Part II along with it. Thanks for reading. :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: **Wow, has it really been a month since I've updated? Sorry about that. College has been getting progressively rougher this semester. It's almost at an end, though. I hope to catch up and get started on my new stories soon after.

**Chapter 20**

A pulsing ache shook Orochimaru slowly form his deep sleep. The man winced once he eyes were open and put a hand to his lower chest. His ribs felt like they had been broken all over again. Oddly enough, he still managed a smirk. An easing and relaxing feeling he hadn't felt in some time had replaced the tension that usually ran through his body.

Orochimaru managed to sit up, dropping his smirk as he looked over to see his bed was empty. His brow lowered in frustration when he directed his gaze to his bedroom door. Saya would be so stubborn as to sneak out to her own bed.

With another wince the man swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his discarded pants that were still lying on the floor. After slipping them on, Orochimaru opened his door and started up the hall. When he reached Saya's room he calmly opened the door.

Light from the hallway barely penetrated the room, but it showed him all he needed to see. Not only was Saya not in bed, but her few belongings were gone. Orochimaru slammed the door shut, finally letting his quickly rising frustration out.

It was still early morning, he could tell. Every hallway was dark and quiet, but that did not stop him from noisily throwing open doors as he proceeded to stalk over the rest of the underground cavern. When even the restricted areas were found to be empty, Orochimaru made his way to the main entrance and stepped outside.

The sky was still partially dark, but birds were already chirping and flying about. A very faint breeze blew at Orochimaru's hair for the first time in days. He remained still for a moment before his eyes turned to the ground. Not one, but two pairs of footprints were lightly imprinted into the soil.

Orochimaru shot a quick scowl at the larger pair before his head shot up to follow the trail. His legs propelled him forward when he could no longer see the tracks. He walked for several minutes before the trail led him into the woods. Now frustrated at the limited light, Orochimaru picked his pace up to a jog.

Fallen twigs and rocks drove into his bare feet and low hanging branches scratched at his face. With his anger growing, the man ran that much faster, swinging at anything in his way.

It was only when Orochimaru reached the top of a hill overlooking the rest of the trail did he stop. His ragged breathing was loud in his ears as he looked down at the desolate landscape. All he could think as his eyes followed the rest of the trail was that Saya was gone.

His senses seemed to be gone until he realized where he was and how and why he had got there. She had run and he had actually run after her. Orochimaru ran a hand over his face as if to hide himself from the desperate thought. Slowly, he turned around and walked calmly back.

He straightened his back and squared his shoulders as he did so. He wouldn't let himself get too discouraged. After all, he knew Saya was too strong willed to stay. He only wished she had stayed just a little while longer.

In the end it didn't matter, though. Orochimaru smirked to himself. His trap, although spontaneous, was laid quickly enough. He just had to wait until it was sprung.

**AN: **The beginning of the sequel "Mend Me" has also been posted. Keep reading. ^_^


End file.
